Former Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Signs in Europe as NHL Career Flounders
Making it into the NHL is hard, but sticking around is even harder. A former Toronto Maple Leafs organization forward is learning that the hard way right now.
Kiefer Bellows is a former 19th overall pick who was taken by the New York Islanders back in 2016. He is 27 years old now and has bounced around the league quite a bit.
After playing with the Islanders, he had a brief stint with the Philadelphia Flyers, before eventually landing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. While with the Leafs organization, he spent all his time in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.
Last season, he went to the Nashville Predators, but spent quite a bit of time with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Kiefer Bellows signs in the SHL
With the forward consistently bouncing around the league and no real NHL prospects in sight, he has decided to take a trip overseas.
The forward has officially signed with Brynas IF in the Swedish Hockey League. Overall, this was a smart move and one that could springboard him back to North America.
Whether or not he gets the ice time he wants in this new endeavor still remains to be seen, although this is a great opportunity.
In 114 career NHL games, the Bellows has only managed a total of 16 goals and 16 assists, which isn't the most effective production.
Having said that, he does have talent, and his AHL numbers are certainly a reflection of that.
Moving forward, Bellows will be looking to prove his place in professional hockey, and we look forward to seeing what he can do.
Only time will tell whether or not the move to Sweden was the correct one.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 14 | 265 ANSWERS Former Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Signs in Europe as NHL Career Flounders Do you believe Kiefer Bellows could have made it with the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 83 | 31.3 % |
| NO | 182 | 68.7 % |
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