Maple Leafs lose key depth forward Kieffer Bellows to the Nashville Predators
Today reports are coming in that the Toronto Maple Leafs have lost out on depth forward Kieffer Bellows in free agency after he signed with the Nashville Predators.
Having organizational depth with NHL upside is a key thing for teams that are up against the salary cap. Today the Toronto Maple Leafs lost one of their best depth pieces Kieffer Bellows who lit up the AHL with the Toronto Marlies last season.
He racked up AHL career highs in goals (27), assists (22) and points (49) in 2023-24.
Kieffer Bellows came to Toronto trying to resurrect his career after being selected in the first round of the NHL Draft and having a difficult run finding his role as a top prospect. He played incredibly well with the Toronto Marlies amassing 49 points in 52 games. Now he will go to Nashville and look to work his way back into the NHL in a depth scoring role.
The Maple Leafs organization will need to find a way to replace his production in the AHL and provide a potential NHL call-up option especially if the team plans to trade Nick Robertson this summer.
In the coming weeks, the Maple Leafs front office led by Brad Treliving will likely address this organizational hole before training camp begins.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs should have given Kieffer Bellows an opportunity to play on the NHL roster? | ||
| Yes | 453 | 60.4 % |
| No | 297 | 39.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
