Maple Leafs on the verge of offering a former 1st rounder an NHL contract

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Tom Banks
November 15, 2023 (5:28 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the most stacked forward groups in the entire NHL, but with some struggles in the bottom-six, they may be eyeing off a talented replacement.

Kieffer Bellows could be given an NHL contract by the Maple Leafs

Kieffer Bellows was drafted by the New York Islanders back in 2016, just 18 picks after the Maple Leafs landed Auston Matthews with the No. 1 overall pick, and now, the 25-year old is on the verge of becoming teammates with the star forward.

Despite being a first-round pick, Bellows struggled to make an impact at the NHL level, but after signing a PTO with the Marlies a few weeks ago, he's proving that he has potentially turned a major corner in his career.

Bellows has had a fantastic start to life with the Marlies

In just five games with the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate, Bellows has added four goals and three assists, and with the likes of Ryan Reaves struggling to play their role, there may very well be a permanent spot for him on this roster.

In a recent one-on-one interview with Mark Masters, Bellows relayed the message that the Maple Leafs gave him when signing him to this deal.

"They just wanted me to come in on a tryout and just show what I can do, and that's what I want to do. I want to show I can earn an NHL contract. That's my goal. While doing that, obviously that's a personal goal, I also want to help this team win games and put in a good run, however long it takes, however long I'm here, whatever the situation is - I want to help this team go on a winning streak to help them benefit in the longer run as well."

Thus far, it's safe to say that he's done exactly that, and if he continues to play the way he has, there's no doubting that he's earned an NHL spot and could contribute to this team at a very high level.

As Read on Maple Leafs Daily -
Former 1st rounder Keiffer Bellows has his eyes on an NHL contract with the Leafs after strong start to PTO