Stop me if you have heard this before, the Boston Bruins continue to block the path to the NHL for their prospects. I mean, it feels like this is a yearly thing under Sweeney recently.
That trend continued on Wednesday afternoon when the Bruins announced that they signed forward Alex Steeves to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $1.625 million. Don't get me wrong, Steeves has been a pleasant surprise since coming from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) earlier this year. However, has he been good enough to warrant an extension at this point in the season?
STEEVIE'S SIGNED 🖊️ pic.twitter.com/1nJJaPHOo8
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 21, 2026
Bruins continue to block their prospects path to the NHL with bottom-six signings
Ok, so Boston's prospect pool isn't one of the top ones in the NHL. That's what happens when you trade your first-round pick at the trade deadlines to add for a deep playoff run nearly every year. There are times when you can't blame Sweeney for going all-in with some of his teams, but eventually, the lack of first-round picks will dry up the prospect pool a bit.
In terms of Steeves, the 26-year-old has played in 33 games and has eight goals and six points. An undrafted free agent signing by the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was signed as a free agent last summer and has been a nice addition with depth scoring. Is he worth a two-year extension? This makes you believe that Sweeney thinks the best is yet to come for Steeves. He'd better hope.
This signing is the signing of another bottom-six forward and creates more questions about the future of the Bruins' prospects. Whether it's that they don't believe in their prospects or whatever it is, it's not sending a good message going forward. Matthew Poitras, Fabian Lysell, and Georgii Merkulov, just to name a few, must be wondering, what's next?
Not only do the current prospects in the organization wonder what the future holds, but so should last year's first-round pick, James Hagens. He could sign as soon as his Boston College season ends to get a little action in Boston, but as far as next year goes, it's all a big question as to how many, if any, prospects can crack the roster.
Truth be told, Boston has prospects down in the AHL currently who can do what Steeves does, and they would be cheaper. This isn't the first time that prospects could be blocked under Sweeney, and it won't be the last. Let the kids play.