Player Discussion Is it time to Waive Reaves...

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Reaves is the baddest, meanest, toughest human being to ever walk the earth.

If anyone disagrees with me just ask Reaves. He'll tell you how great he is. He showed me a huge callous on his back once.

He said it was from all the pats he's given himself over the years.

I propose Reaves as temporary Captain in Matthews absence. There's a leadership void on this team and that's the exact reason Reaves was brought in. He has the attitude of a champion.

Hopefully that's something that can rub off on the other players.

Reaves playing good beats and setting the tone in the dressing room for success. Because otherwise he's as useful as a choda. There's no real discernable purpose.

The best you can say about the guy is praising his intangibles and that's not really a good thing.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Hopefully, he draws back in tonight.

 

[Smif]

I don't understand why people care if he plays half the games and when he does play he gets 8 mins a night...

 

[Apex Predator]

He’s been getting benched and missing a lot of the recent games. 4th line still looks the same with our without him recently so all this hate about him makes no sense to me.

Everyone getting worked up with a 4th liner when the team has bigger issues. Leafs aren’t winning or losing because of Reaves.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

He’s been getting benched and missing a lot of the recent games. 4th line still looks the same with our without him recently so all this hate about him makes no sense to me.

Everyone getting worked up with a 4th liner when the team has bigger issues. Leafs aren’t winning or losing because of Reaves.

4th line has looked a lot better without him. They were arguably the best line vs Detroit

Reaves brings nothing of value on the ice, so what's the point of playing him? At least the other guys can play on the PK. You're essentially wasting a lineup spot with his 7 min of ice-time and are likely overplaying other players as a result, which is not a good thing in a B2B scenario.

 

[Magic Man]

If Reaves isn't going to fight, they should keep him as a healthy scratch and waive him if necessary to accommodate a trade. Dewar and Lorentz crunch players with body checks at a similar rate and they are defensively sound and they are PK options.

If Reaves wants to start playing like Olivier I would make room for him. But, if he wants to fight twice a season he can sit in the press box or hit the wire.

 

[ACC1224]

GAMEDAY: Offensively challenged Maple Leafs host stingy Dallas Stars

Maple Leafs will have to work for their goals against one of the NHL's tightest teams, one out to avenge a Toronto win in Dallas last month.

torontosun.com

“There’s not many fights anywhere, right? This guy has been a heavyweight in this league a long time. There’s not many takers. But I think he’s played good hockey for us. He is what he is.” – Toronto coach Craig Berube on winger Ryan Reaves’ play and yet to drop the gloves this season.

 

[ACC1224]

Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves teases Joseph Woll, knocks Habs' Arber Xhekaj

Veteran winger Reaves is impressed with how goaltender Joseph Woll has carried the Leafs of late, but wanted a fight from Arber Xhekaj.

torontosun.com

The 225-pound Reaves has yet to drop the gloves this year, an unusual circumstance Berube commented on last week, tracing it to the ongoing decline in fighting and that Reaves can’t find many takers as one of the NHL’s eldest and best-proven pugilists. Reaves mentioned another reason Tuesday.

“A lot of it has been teams we’ve been playing. We played Philly back-to-back and and (Nicolas) Deslauriers was hurt. Both games I played against New Jersey, (Kurtis) MacDermid wasn’t in and when we did play them, he was in, I’m out. Just not a lot of takers out there.”

Reaves took on Xhekaj last season in his first game as a Leaf, as well as Marcus Foligno and Rangers’ rogue Matt Rempe. After it looked like he and Garnet Hathaway of the Flyers seemed destined to go after the latter injured teammate Jake McCabe (in a fight McCabe pursued), Reaves told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that Hathaway declined his challenge.

“He was awfully quiet the rest of the game,” Reaves said. “I think I’ve asked Hathaway before. I might be a little out of his weight class.”

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I would keep him as an extra on roster .. maybe he can get an injury til playoffs to exploit LTIR .. you never know when we play Florida we might need him .. a vet who can smash and crash and fight when on road is important for team psyche

 

[sxvnert]

The Reaves spot should be filled by someone who is willing to be a wrecking ball who hits everything in sight and will drop the gloves in the heat of the moment. Reaves provides none of that.

 

[Leaf Fans]

The Reaves spot should be filled by someone who is willing to be a wrecking ball who hits everything in sight and will drop the gloves in the heat of the moment. Reaves provides none of that.

Sure, if we get someone like that, I am all for waving Reaves, but against waiving him for no reason.

 

[SprDaVE]

The Reaves spot should be filled by someone who is willing to be a wrecking ball who hits everything in sight and will drop the gloves in the heat of the moment. Reaves provides none of that.

That's the main problem with Reaves. It isn't his role, he's just useless in everything that a good energy fighter should do. He's too old and too slow to do anything in terms of physicality outside of a scripted fight. It isn't even about scoring or creating offensive chances.

 

[Da Mash]

Tre should of signed him on a two way contract. Just send him to the Marlies and call him up when needed which will be IMHO ......never.

Clifford offered the exact same thing as Reaves.

Why do NHL teams need a 4th line? Split those minutes with the top 2 lines. Have Mathews line and Tavares line playing 22-23 mins. McKinnon plays 2-3 mins more a game then our stars in seems. I know its a long haul during the season but these guys nowadays are conditioned to play more. You dont see players having a smoke and a beer in the dressing room between periods like in the older days

Watching Kampf and Reaves and their likes is like watching paint dry. Waste of cap dollars. Offers nothing to the team offensively or defensively. With the way the players are dressed with all that plastic armor and shield etc......who is intimidated any more on the ice? Players get beat up more from crosschecks to the back.

 

[thewave]

Should have been done long ago

 

[ACC1224]

Tre should of signed him on a two way contract. Just send him to the Marlies and call him up when needed which will be IMHO ......never.

Clifford offered the exact same thing as Reaves.

Why do NHL teams need a 4th line? Split those minutes with the top 2 lines. Have Mathews line and Tavares line playing 22-23 mins. McKinnon plays 2-3 mins more a game then our stars in seems. I know its a long haul during the season but these guys nowadays are conditioned to play more. You dont see players having a smoke and a beer in the dressing room between periods like in the older days

Watching Kampf and Reaves and their likes is like watching paint dry. Waste of cap dollars. Offers nothing to the team offensively or defensively. With the way the players are dressed with all that plastic armor and shield etc......who is intimidated any more on the ice? Players get beat up more from crosschecks to the back.

I don't think that was ever realistic but what's his cap hit if sent down? It can't be much.

 

[Da Mash]

I don't think that was ever realistic but what's his cap hit if sent down? It can't be much.

Because he is a certain age I think certain rules apply. Not sure tho.

 

[tony135420]

Tre should of signed him on a two way contract. Just send him to the Marlies and call him up when needed which will be IMHO ......never.

Clifford offered the exact same thing as Reaves.

Why do NHL teams need a 4th line? Split those minutes with the top 2 lines. Have Mathews line and Tavares line playing 22-23 mins. McKinnon plays 2-3 mins more a game then our stars in seems. I know its a long haul during the season but these guys nowadays are conditioned to play more. You dont see players having a smoke and a beer in the dressing room between periods like in the older days

Watching Kampf and Reaves and their likes is like watching paint dry. Waste of cap dollars. Offers nothing to the team offensively or defensively. With the way the players are dressed with all that plastic armor and shield etc......who is intimidated any more on the ice? Players get beat up more from crosschecks to the back.

As far as his contract being 1 way or 2 way, it doesn't matter. The whole point of a 1 way contract is that the player is paid the same amount whether in the NHL or AHL. Sending him down or up had nothing to do with being a 1 way contract. He would have to pass through waivers regardless. In fact, it makes more sense, for Reaves, for him to have a one way contract as if he's sent down he doesn't have to pay escrow.

In regards to your comment on 4th liners, imho, there's a place for a 4th line. They're usually made up of energy guys that are forecheckers, good at grinding down whatever line they're up against or defensive specialists with minimal offensive upside. Not necessarily expected to score a bunch of goals.

I'm also not a fan of having a guy on the roster that is solely there to drop the gloves and be a cheerleader in the dressing room. Seems a bit outdated. Dewar, Kampf, Lorentz, Greb and Holmberg are all guys that are prototypical 4th liners to me. I don't see how Reaves fits in. He's a big body that can skate, but isn't particularly a great forechecker or PKer.

 

[Stephen]

That's the main problem with Reaves. It isn't his role, he's just useless in everything that a good energy fighter should do. He's too old and too slow to do anything in terms of physicality outside of a scripted fight. It isn't even about scoring or creating offensive chances.

What I don’t understand about Reaves at this point in his career is why is he playing this role of the “honorable goon.” Look for fights with heavies only, take no as an answer and skate away politely, try to play a normal hockey shift at a low level? The whole point is he should be a weapon to dial up the emotional anxiety on the other team and find ways to throw them off their game. But it’s all polite out there with him. Even said thank you or something to that effect to Olivier. He could just go out there and do annoying Brady Tkachuk things after a whistle and it would be an improvement.

The guy is no fulfilling his goon duties, and not changing anyone’s mind who thinks his role is a relic. It’s neither here nor there.

 

[danny90]

He was done the first game of his contract, not sure how he’s made it this far.

 

[NVious]

Considering he doesn't really hit and never fights, I fail to see how having internal competition for his spot would be a bad thing, he's useless.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Jarnkrok is not far off being ready, Jarnkrok might actually get that 4th line a few goals.

Cap crunch is coming so waiving Reaves does make sense from that perspective.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Yep. It's time.

 

[jaric1862]

A trade I would do: Reaves for Desharnais

 

[LeafEgo]

What I don’t understand about Reaves at this point in his career is why is he playing this role of the “honorable goon.” Look for fights with heavies only, take no as an answer and skate away politely, try to play a normal hockey shift at a low level? The whole point is he should be a weapon to dial up the emotional anxiety on the other team and find ways to throw them off their game. But it’s all polite out there with him. Even said thank you or something to that effect to Olivier. He could just go out there and do annoying Brady Tkachuk things after a whistle and it would be an improvement.

The guy is no fulfilling his goon duties, and not changing anyone’s mind who thinks his role is a relic. It’s neither here nor there.

Reavo did all of that last game to Chucky himself, others started to join in the fun - Domi, Benny, McCabe. It was the scorers, and the coach imo, that came up short.

Reavo is honorable but he ain't polite.