The “next man up” mantra gets thrown around in pro sports when teams are competing with depleted lineups. But having Auston Matthews, Max Pacioretty, David Kampf, Max Domi and Calle Jarnkrok on injured reserve and Ryan Reaves out of the lineup with suspension isn’t ideal.
While Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin have been called up for an opportunity, the player I’m interested to see try and win a permanent role is Alex Steeves. Before Steeves was recalled from the AHL last week he was skating on the Marlies’ top line with Minten and Grebenkin, where he was (and still is) the leading scorer for the AHL team with nine goals and three assistsw in 10 games.
While Steeves will play on the fourth line Wednesday night against Vegas, I’m of the belief he deserves a chance to skate on the Leafs’ third line and, when they’re healthy, have a shot at replacing Nick Robertson, who has struggled to produce after having a great pre-season with just one goal in 16 games.
As the Leafs push through with a bottom six forward group hammered by injuries, here’s my reasoning behind giving Steeves an extended opportunity to prove himself.
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GOOD EXECUTION AND ENERGY
Steeves has produced 36 goals and 33 assists in his past 75 AHL games, so he’s proven he can score in the minors. But his all-round game is intriguing and deserves recognition. This season he was averaging over 16 minutes of ice time and was used in all situations before he was recalled by the Leafs. He’s responsible and follows the game plan the coach presents.
Here’s a play that displays what I’m trying to describe:
Steeves’ responsibility as F1 on the forecheck is to take away the stick-to-stick outlet below the goal line option for his opponent, and he does that well. He angles the Rochester defender to the corner and limits his options to distribute the puck, so the Rochester forward has to come across to receive an outlet and break the puck out of the zone.
The issue for Rochester here is that they have just skated into a neutral zone “trap” that eventually leads to a turnover. By cutting the ice in half with his angling on the forecheck, Steeves directed how Rochester was going to move the puck and eventually pounced on an opportunity to attack off the rush when his teammates intercepted the play at the red line. His quick stick leads to a goal for the Marlies.
I have to admit, the next clip did present some risk considering Steeves was on the penalty-kill, but he gets credit for creating chaos by pressuring the puck up ice.
This sequence nearly leads to a shorthanded scoring chance when he tries to chip the puck out in front to his teammate after going hard on a forecheck. I appreciate how he didn’t hesitate to identify an opportunity to win a race up ice, and his compete level in the sequence.
NHL goalies are difficult to beat from long range. Even the most prolific goal scorers have to be willing to battle around their opponent’s crease to win pucks and cash in on rebounds.
As much as I appreciate Robertson’s energy, he has a difficult time winning puck battles in the middle of the ice in the offensive zone — especially around the blue paint. Steeves, on the other hand, is a sturdy six-feet and 196 pounds, plus he’s willing to battle along the boards and in the trenches.
In the following sequence Steeves keeps things simple through the neutral zone. He chips the puck deep and eventually ends up at the Rochester crease. His initial tip leads to a rebound that he corrals and fires the puck home.
CAN STEEVES STICK ON THE LEAFS IN THE LONG RUN?
The Leafs are looking inward as they navigate their current roster challenges and the fact is Steeves can be deployed in a variety of roles, has an interior game, plays quick and provides consistent compete. All of this makes him a nice option to insert into the bottom six at even strength and potentially land on one of the Leafs’ power play units, especially when the roster is depleted.
Once upon a time Bobby McMann was given the same opportunity and took full advantage — today he’s an every day player for the team.
I’m willing to bet Steeves can prove himself in a similar fashion.
