When the Boston Bruins re-signed forward Alex Steeves in January, it caught some by surprise. He had only been in the NHL with Boston for a couple of months, not coming up until early November against his former organization, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
By January, Steeves had eight goals and six assists in just 33 games. That was enough for general manager Don Sweeney to hand him a two-year extension for $3.25 million, which carries an AAV of $1.625 million. Shortly after the extension, reality set in and the Bruins hope it's not a sign of things to come over the next couple of seasons.
Steeves would only play in 10 more regular-season games from January, with one goal and one assist. He averaged 11:56 a night, but as the second half of the season went along and after the Olympic break, he didn't play much. He only played in two postseason games. He spoke with Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald and didn't beat around the bush about feeling like he's a full-time NHLer.
“To be honest, (the contract) doesn’t really help. I don’t feel like I’ve made it,” said Steeves. “I’ll feel like I’ve made it when I’m a guy who never comes out of the lineup and is a real stable NHLer. I know I am that caliber of a player and I know I’m getting better. But the way things ended last year, there’s no complacency in my game or who I am as a person.”
Alex Steeves enters 2026-27 as a question mark for the Bruins
Let's be honest, how many players admit that they don't feel like they've made it after getting an extension? Not many, but Steeves basically did. Anyway, he is going to be part of a training camp logjam that will need to be sorted out by the coaching staff.
What will the Bruins do with James Hagens? How about Mikey Eyssimont or anyone else who will be in the mix for a spot in the bottom six? Steeves will be in that group and part of several players where there are too many bodies for limited spots.
Generally, Sweeney had a better-than-good track record when it comes to extending players and handing out contracts. That is not the case with everyone entering the 2026-27 season. Steeves is one player where it feels like Sweeney jumped the gun and handed out a contract on a decision that could have waited until the summer, and maybe they could have parted ways with him. If Alex Steeves is a regular in the lineup for Marco Sturm, well, then the Black and Gold might be in trouble depth-wise this upcoming season.
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