2 Toronto Maples Leafs Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the Toronto Maples Leafs this season.

Alex Steeves

A highly-coveted NCAA free agent this past Spring, the undrafted Alex Steeves eventually signed his ELC with the Maple Leafs after fielding pitches from multiple NHL teams. He was quickly taken under the wing of Hayley Wickenheiser, who had recently been promoted by the Leafs to the role of Senior Director of Player Development. Steeves became her pet project of sorts, and the work immediately began on transforming him into a potential NHLer. It seems to be paying off. First, there was Steeves' final game in Leafs' development camp this summer where he scored 4 goals. Shortly afterward, he joined the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. In his first 7 games of pro hockey, he's scored 5 goals and 7 points. He truly has not missed a step coming off of 15 goals and 32 points in 29 games in the NCAA last year, but there's more to it than that. Steeves carries himself like a pro and is hungry to improve any and all facets of his game. He's even said that was part of his decision to join the Leafs. Reportedly, when he saw how the Leafs were using video to help Auston Matthews improve his already lethal shot, Steeves knew he'd benefit the most from joining their club. So far so good, Steeves is 6th on the Marlies in scoring but has played fewer games than anyone ahead of him. He's already well ahead of where the team expected him to be, and that may be enough to get him a call-up to the NHL.

Now THAT is a heckuva way to score your first professional goal. 🔥 Congrats, Alex Steeves! 👏#MarliesLive pic.twitter.com/c0bCJC5QiY

— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) October 30, 2021

Joseph Duszak

Speaking of undrafted players, Joseph Duszak is now in his third season of pro hockey, and after inking a two-way deal with the Leafs back in August, he's showing that he's taken a big step forward in his game. In 9 games with the Marlies Duszak has 8 points, all assists, which ties his assist total in 25 games from last season. It's a pretty good sign for a blueliner to be 5th on his team in scoring, but it's the other facets of his game that make him likely to get a call-up. There's his feisty style of play, his 10 PIM on the season only indicate a fraction of the peskiness he employs in his own end. He plays much bigger than his 5'10" stature would suggest and is a thorn in the side of opposing teams on a regular basis. There's also his defensive game, which has seen a significant turnaround after he spent time with the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers a couple of seasons ago and has transformed him into a potent 2-way blueliner. The Leafs clearly saw the potential in him when they signed Duszak out of the NCAA, and offering him a 1-year 2-way deal means they think he may be ready for the NHL at some point this season. So far he's proving them correct. Right-shot defencemen are a hot commodity in the NHL these days, and Duszak may end up being a "diamond in the rough" for the Leafs in the near future.

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