Toronto Forward Threatens to Walk Away from Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs forward Alex Steeves knows he's got the talent to make it in the NHL, and though Toronto has a chance to use him; if they don't? He's going to head out.
There comes a time when an athlete plateaus, and he's no longer progressing unless given a bigger chance to shine. Alex Steeves is at that point, as though he's had a stellar Toronto Marlies tenure, the fact he hasn't been called upon much for the Maple Leafs has irked him.
Always one to bet on himself, Steeves is taking no chances when it comes to his future, whether it be in Toronto; or not. Speaking to David Alter of The Hockey News, Steeves is confident it'll work out:
It's not hard to see why Steeves has such confidence in himself, as he is close to breaking the Marlies all-time points record, and has shown on numerous occasions that he is better than an AHL roster. With 166 points in his time with the Marlies, he's proven to be a reliable asset and it's puzzling why Toronto can't give him an honest look.
This year, I've been in a better headspace. I've come to accept that there are so many things out of my control, whether it's bringing in guys, roster limits, cap space limits-you know, I could go on and on."
Toronto should offer him a longer look, especially if Nick Robertson is out the door soon. Steeves has proven himself, he's still only 24 years old, and given the brutal lack of offense from the Leafs' bottom six, he could inject life into it if they would just offer him a shot.
A former standout at Notre Dame, Steeves had his contract extended earlier this year by Toronto and they are clearly high on their forward. There's been a logjam at forward in previous years but the complete disaster of this season should open things up for Steeves.
He's not too worried though:
Toronto hopes that he has a long and fruitful career as well, but if they don't act soon, he's going to be doing it with another team instead.
| POLL | ||
Should Toronto give Alex Steeves a chance or let him walk away? | ||
| Give him a shot he's good! | 744 | 75.2 % |
| Let him leave, he's not worth it | 245 | 24.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
