Maple Leafs Make Roster Decision on AHL 29-Goal Scorer

The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled forward Alex Steeves from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Tuesday, bringing the minor league’s top goal scorer to practice ahead of the team’s return to NHL action on Saturday. Steeves leads the AHL with 29 goals in 40 games and already joined the Leafs for their first practice following the 4 Nations Face-Off break on Tuesday. He skated on a line with Calle Jarnkrok, who is recovering from groin and sports hernia surgery, and Matthew Knies, according to The Hockey News’ David Alter. Despite his dominance in the AHL, where he’s notched 200 points (98 goals, 102 assists) in 228 games, Steeves has struggled to secure a permanent role with the Leafs.

Steeves has appeared in just 11 NHL games with Toronto, including four earlier this season assisting one goal and averaging a low 9:15 minutes of ice time.

The forward, who turned 25 years old on Dec. 10, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Toronto last August and will become a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer, which allows him to sign with any NHL franchise. His play in the AHL has made him one of the league’s top offensive threats, but he’s still to prove his worth among the NHL elites.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube discussed the possibility of Steeves sticking at the NHL level, which will depend on opportunity and production. “Opportunity is everything, for sure, and the situation is everything for a lot of players,” Berube said. “He probably needs a good opportunity and a good situation. But that might happen here. We don’t know that right now. We are where we are. We will see how it goes. “He has played some games this year for sure and been a pretty effective player for us up here with limited ice time.”