Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign F Ryan Reaves (3 years, $1.3M AAV)

[ACC1224]

Reaves rediscovers game with Maple Leafs after early struggles: 'I had no confidence'

Ryan Reaves delivered a pair of massive hits to roaring approval. The Maple Leafs enforcer then dropped the gloves later in the game looking to spark his teammates, emphatically gesturing to the bench after a series of punishing blows that again had fans inside Scotiabank Arena on their feet.

www.cp24.com

A rocky start in Toronto had already seen him yo-yo in and out of the lineup with one goal and a minus-11 rating through 21 games. Now he had to sit for an extended period.

Reaves wouldn't see action again until Jan. 24 when the door finally swung back open.

Those six weeks of inaction helped turn the 37-year-old's season around.

“Used that as a mini training camp,” Reaves said. “I worked on everything that I could. I was doing two-, three-a-days (training sessions) sometimes.

“Just trying to get confidence back.”

One of the biggest personalities in the league and the owner of a million-dollar smile, it's hard to imagine the Winnipeg native's self-belief in tatters.

But there he was.

“Confidence is a real thing,” Reaves said. “First time I've probably gone through something like that in my career where I just felt like nothing was going right. I just felt like I had no confidence.

“Used that opportunity to try and build it back.”

Reaves, who also fought Tampa forward Tanner Jeannot on Wednesday, has been a hit off the ice, with his lighthearted demeanour a welcome addition to a locker room under a constant microscope in hockey's biggest media market.

“Great teammate,” Leafs star Auston Matthews said. “He's brought a lot of energy, a lot of positivity to the group. You see the impact he makes on the ice, the way he plays, his physicality, fighting.

“It's infectious.”

 

[LeafsFan89]

Reaves rediscovers game with Maple Leafs after early struggles: 'I had no confidence'

Ryan Reaves delivered a pair of massive hits to roaring approval. The Maple Leafs enforcer then dropped the gloves later in the game looking to spark his teammates, emphatically gesturing to the bench after a series of punishing blows that again had fans inside Scotiabank Arena on their feet.

www.cp24.com

Apparently not infectious enough for Matthews to start using his size and drive people into the boards lol.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

infectious

The only real cheering all game was for Reeve's fight and Matthews absolute clapper. WOW. I won't forget that shot for a long time. If that shot was 12 inches too high it would have hit me in the face (with no net).

I'm not a big fighting guy. AND I didn't see much point in the fight. I like Marchand getting his faced mashed in when he purposely hurts one of our players. I need purpose behind a good fight. I felt like I was at the coliseum in Rome watching gladiators kill each other.

Matthews goal vs. Bolts.
WOW



edit. "maybe more than 12 inches" ... I was row 25.

 

[ACC1224]

Apparently not infectious enough for Matthews to start using his size and drive people into the boards lol.

He's never going to be that player.

 

[Hoglund4MvP]

He keeps the puck on the boards and then sends it behind the net if there's no other option. Has become very low risk. He's only high risk when Keefe thinks Reaves can selke kucherov

 

[Leafsfan74]

He, and to some degree his linemates I presume, will provide a key element ALL teams need come playoffs.

Consider the fight against that fridge Remke. My man didn't just take him on, he sought him out and welcomed/demanded the fight. No person goes into ANY boxing match on skates without the understanding they can and will get hit and hurt to some degree.

The message was clear from Reaves, "there are consequences if you injure our players". Fans don't care if one wins or loses, nor do players I suspect. They care that someone is willing to sacrifice to send that message. It inevitably leads to a bit more space for players as they don't want to injure a Leaf player, intentionally or not.

Now, the honourable pursuit of defending ones teammate is just one element. More importantly is that he is willing to hit opponents, wear them down in a series, drive to the net, create some havok. This is part pest part presence.

I never doubted the signing of Bertuzzi and Reaves in particular because they are here for the playoffs almost exclusively. I've been pleasantly surprised by Domis commitment to stand up for players, use his speed and passing and play more than a one-dimensional "fly by" game.

 

[sxvnert]

He, and to some degree his linemates I presume, will provide a key element ALL teams need come playoffs.

Consider the fight against that fridge Remke. My man didn't just take him on, he sought him out and welcomed/demanded the fight. No person goes into ANY boxing match on skates without the understanding they can and will get hit and hurt to some degree.

The message was clear from Reaves, "there are consequences if you injure our players". Fans don't care if one wins or loses, nor do players I suspect. They care that someone is willing to sacrifice to send that message. It inevitably leads to a bit more space for players as they don't want to injure a Leaf player, intentionally or not.

Now, the honourable pursuit of defending ones teammate is just one element. More importantly is that he is willing to hit opponents, wear them down in a series, drive to the net, create some havok. This is part pest part presence.

I never doubted the signing of Bertuzzi and Reaves in particular because they are here for the playoffs almost exclusively. I've been pleasantly surprised by Domis commitment to stand up for players, use his speed and passing and play more than a one-dimensional "fly by" game.

The proper response to Lyubushkin getting hammered along the boards was to demolish one of their defenceman.

 

[sxvnert]

 

[Twine Tickler]

Let this be a lesson to give these guys time to settle in for future signings.

Reeves, Domi and Bertuzzi all valuable pieces to a possible cup run as of right now before the playoffs start.

This is a great point. I think Kris Versteeg was recently interviewed stating the exact same thing. To paraphrase, he essentially talked about his slow start as a Leaf and how it became the overarching narrative of him as a player despite closing out his tenure as a leaf with a 25+ game stretch where he was at or near a pt/game pace. The consensus around his Leaf tenure as a whole was that of a failure but he was quick to point out that he was actually rounding into form at the time of his departure and that he actually felt like he could have maintained that had he stuck around.

Like you said, Domi, Bert and Reavo have all been absolutely excellent for well over 2 months now. They all just get it. It's not necessarily about goals and assists when it comes to winning over Leafs nation. In fact I would argue it has and always will be secondary to playing with heart and passion. Leafs fans are actually very simple. Play with heart and you will be forever loved. It's why a guy like Simon Benoit has become a fan favorite, whereas an uber talented Mitch Marner is always in the spotlight for the exact opposite reasons.

Reavo will be huge for us in the playoffs IMO. Will he make a mistake from time to time? Most likely. But you gotta take the good with the bad when it comes to players like him. Similar to Naz, when you play close to that line, occasionally you will cross it and hurt your team in the process. But I will never shit on a player for playing with that passion.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

This is a great point. I think Kris Versteeg was recently interviewed stating the exact same thing. To paraphrase, he essentially talked about his slow start as a Leaf and how it became the overarching narrative of him as a player despite closing out his tenure as a leaf with a 25+ game stretch where he was at or near a pt/game pace. The consensus around his Leaf tenure as a whole was that of a failure but he was quick to point out that he was actually rounding into form at the time of his departure and that he actually felt like he could have maintained that had he stuck around.

Like you said, Domi, Bert and Reavo have all been absolutely excellent for well over 2 months now. They all just get it. It's not necessarily about goals and assists when it comes to winning over Leafs nation. In fact I would argue it has and always will be secondary to playing with heart and passion. Leafs fans are actually very simple. Play with heart and you will be forever loved. It's why a guy like Simon Benoit has become a fan favorite, whereas an uber talented Mitch Marner is always in the spotlight for the exact opposite reasons.

Reavo will be huge for us in the playoffs IMO. Will he make a mistake from time to time? Most likely. But you gotta take the good with the bad when it comes to players like him. Similar to Naz, when you play close to that line, occasionally you will cross it and hurt your team in the process. But I will never shit on a player for playing with that passion.

This is true...I think when Brad said that he didn't like making too many trades at the deadline, he was cognizant of the fact that it takes up to 40gms for a player to fit in and start playing his best hockey for the most part. There are exceptions of course...but in general you rarely see deadline deals work out very well for skill guys...they need time to gel.

 

[LeafEgo]

Having the chance to watch Reavo up close this year its pretty clear why he has only moved between serious and contending teams, and why it seemingly cost us a premium to get him.

Only he has the reputation to play the game the way he does, and his unique qualities have had a more obvious positive impact on the team than expected.

A lot of slights are wildly misplaced - he executes his role perfectly. Hopefully he holds up and can contribute in the playoffs and we can squeeze another year out of him.

 

[Twine Tickler]

This is true...I think when Brad said that he didn't like making too many trades at the deadline, he was cognizant of the fact that it takes up to 40gms for a player to fit in and start playing his best hockey for the most part. There are exceptions of course...but in general you rarely see deadline deals work out very well for skill guys...they need time to gel.

yup,

Brad has been OK in his first year as the GM IMO. I was never a huge fan of firing Dubas, but quiclkly moved on. Brad had a decent offseason given the circumstances he was faced with IMO. Lots to tackle in a very short period of time. I didn't care for the Kampf extension and the Reaves signing at the time. Still don't like the Kampf extension, but Reaves has really made me eat my words. I always loved the Domi and Bert signings and I really hope we can bring them back. They've really complimented our lineup swimmingly and like I said earlier, they just get it.

Brad has also resigned Auston and Willy which is massive. But I think one of his biggest moves he has made ultimately was the ones he didn't make at the TDL as you just referenced. Something I will admit I was not overly impressed with at the time. Our defense still has me worried, but I do think by bringing in Edmondson and Lybushkin it was the right mix of player that we were missing. They also came at a relatively low cost so the ROI was always likely to be higher than the big name acquisitions at the deadline that often fail to live up to their price tags.


Overall, I really like the moxie this team is playing with at the moment. So often we'd beg and plead for our team to just respond to physical play and not back down. But at this point we have become the aggressor and instigator of that physical play. It is so refreshing to be able to beat teams on the scoresheet as well as in the back ally. And as much as I don't agree with every move Brad has made, I do believe he is the sole reason for that culture shift. In his very short tenure as Leafs GM, his acquisitions have directly impacted that bully narrative. It was a key point he referenced when he took the job, and it has been very clearly actioned in a very short period of time.

Hopefully this team can continue to play with that heart and passion, because this is becoming a team that I am very proud to watch win or lose at this point.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Reaves has the one thing in spades everyone else on this team lacks.

He has some serious swagger. Top alpha male in the league. All the neutered beta males on the Leafs look even wimpier by comparison.

I wonder if Reaves ever says anything to them.

Like after seeing Nylander duck a scrum. Reaves should be telling him to put a jock on and get back out there. Somebody needs to do it and if not Reaves then who?

The cowardly impotent coach sure isn't gonna say anything.

Even if he did nobody would listen. Captain Emotionless just stares straight ahead thinking about what's for dinner. The only thing on his mind is a BLT with extra mayo.

Leave all the knuckle sandwiches for Reaves.

 

[Malachi Crunch]

This, and Matthew's crazy monkey face movement just after this, were awesome. This is the first time, in years, I've seen this level of passion on the Leafs bench. Look at Domi here too. That's some infectious excitement he's showing. We're now seeing just how important it is to get the right characters on the team.

 

[Twine Tickler]

Reaves has the one thing in spades everyone else on this team lacks.

He has some serious swagger. Top alpha male in the league. All the neutered beta males on the Leafs look even wimpier by comparison.

I wonder if Reaves ever says anything to them.

I think at this point in time he has earned the right to say something and have people seriously tune in. Earlier in the season I genuinely don't think that approach would have worked because he was costing the team in other ways.

To Reavo's credit, he has turned the ship around to a level I don't think anyone on this planet could have predicted. I never in my wildest imaginations would have thought I would say he is a major piece to our playoff success going forward, but he 100% is at this point.

I've alluded to this one goal so many times on here in the past, but when Auston scored against the caps in game-3 round 1 2016/17 , it was made entirely possible by the proceeding shift from Naz. The entire team was lifeless, so too was SBA. He ran Orpik 2 times that one shift and the place was absolutely buzzing. Auston scores the next shift. We have not had a player drag his team into the fight like that since Naz left. I really think Reavo can do that for us, cuz he's going to be playing with that intensity every shift.

 

[sxvnert]

This, and Matthew's crazy monkey face movement just after this, were awesome. This is the first time, in years, I've seen this level of passion on the Leafs bench. Look at Domi here too. That's some infectious excitement he's showing. We're now seeing just how important it is to get the right characters on the team.

Domi grabbing onto matthews is by far the best part

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

yup,

Brad has been OK in his first year as the GM IMO. I was never a huge fan of firing Dubas, but quiclkly moved on. Brad had a decent offseason given the circumstances he was faced with IMO. Lots to tackle in a very short period of time. I didn't care for the Kampf extension and the Reaves signing at the time. Still don't like the Kampf extension, but Reaves has really made me eat my words. I always loved the Domi and Bert signings and I really hope we can bring them back. They've really complimented our lineup swimmingly and like I said earlier, they just get it.

Brad has also resigned Auston and Willy which is massive. But I think one of his biggest moves he has made ultimately was the ones he didn't make at the TDL as you just referenced. Something I will admit I was not overly impressed with at the time. Our defense still has me worried, but I do think by bringing in Edmondson and Lybushkin it was the right mix of player that we were missing. They also came at a relatively low cost so the ROI was always likely to be higher than the big name acquisitions at the deadline that often fail to live up to their price tags.


Overall, I really like the moxie this team is playing with at the moment. So often we'd beg and plead for our team to just respond to physical play and not back down. But at this point we have become the aggressor and instigator of that physical play. It is so refreshing to be able to beat teams on the scoresheet as well as in the back ally. And as much as I don't agree with every move Brad has made, I do believe he is the sole reason for that culture shift. In his very short tenure as Leafs GM, his acquisitions have directly impacted that bully narrative. It was a key point he referenced when he took the job, and it has been very clearly actioned in a very short period of time.

Hopefully this team can continue to play with that heart and passion, because this is becoming a team that I am very proud to watch win or lose at this point.

Good points. I just find it odd that Matthews seemed to be going nuts after Reaves pounded the Hab into the ice and Dubas never thought it was an aspect that was worth getting right when he tried to fill in the roster. It was always a washed up older guy like Simmonds or Clifford...but never a guy who either had real Cache like Reaves or a younger guy on the way up the heavyweight ladder so to speak. Maybe this helps our non aggressive players play better in the playoffs...but why wouldn't Dubas have gone to the players like AM and MM and ask them if they really would feel more comfortable with a Reaves type player? It seems like they really do appreciate him...like a lot.

 

[fancy lad]

I've alluded to this one goal so many times on here in the past, but when Auston scored against the caps in game-3 round 1 2016/17 , it was made entirely possible by the proceeding shift from Naz. The entire team was lifeless, so too was SBA. He ran Orpik 2 times that one shift and the place was absolutely buzzing. Auston scores the next shift. We have not had a player drag his team into the fight like that since Naz left. I really think Reavo can do that for us, cuz he's going to be playing with that intensity every shift.

That Kadri shift was legendary. It was out of the seat type stuff when i saw it live.

Reaves' first shift against tampa couple games ago totally reminded me of that Kadri shift, but i couldn't find a youtube clip of it (the kadri one) so thanks for posting it.

Awesome stuff.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

I think at this point in time he has earned the right to say something and have people seriously tune in. Earlier in the season I genuinely don't think that approach would have worked because he was costing the team in other ways.

To Reavo's credit, he has turned the ship around to a level I don't think anyone on this planet could have predicted. I never in my wildest imaginations would have thought I would say he is a major piece to our playoff success going forward, but he 100% is at this point.

I've alluded to this one goal so many times on here in the past, but when Auston scored against the caps in game-3 round 1 2016/17 , it was made entirely possible by the proceeding shift from Naz. The entire team was lifeless, so too was SBA. He ran Orpik 2 times that one shift and the place was absolutely buzzing. Auston scores the next shift. We have not had a player drag his team into the fight like that since Naz left. I really think Reavo can do that for us, cuz he's going to be playing with that intensity every shift.

As a hockey player I think Reaves stinks.

Even at his best he is a horrible NHL'er. If this guy sniffs the ice for more than five minutes a game in the playoffs I'll be surprised. If memory corrects me he was press boxed when Rangers were in the playoffs.

It wouldn't surprise me if Keefe does the same here too.

 

[Maple Leaf]

As a hockey player I think Reaves stinks.

Even at his best he is a horrible NHL'er. If this guy sniffs the ice for more than five minutes a game in the playoffs I'll be surprised. If memory corrects me he was press boxed when Rangers were in the playoffs.

It wouldn't surprise me if Keefe does the same here too.

he will launch the peoples elbow and get the crowd going wow

 

[BlackAdam]

I know Ryan Reaves is a liability but giving up a goal 10 seconds in to his first shift of the 2024 playoffs is pretty crazy.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I know Ryan Reaves is a liability but giving up a goal 10 seconds in to his first shift of the 2024 playoffs is pretty crazy.

It was his fault.

Other than the idea that Edmundson shouldn’t be pinching with 4th line grinders on.

Leafs' Playoff Goal Thread - for and against.

Let's go boys. Lineup looks weird and unexpectedly depleted. .. Natural Stat Trick results https://naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20232024&game=30121&view=limited

forums.hfboards.com

 

[hamzarocks]

Had a good game overall

4th line scored our only goal. He was physical, held the puck better thah tavares did lol on the cycle albeit against 4th liners/bottom pairing

Good game for 4th line and reavo

 

[Antropovsky]

Had a good game overall

4th line scored our only goal. He was physical, held the puck better thah tavares did lol on the cycle albeit against 4th liners/bottom pairing

Good game for 4th line and reavo

Had a couple really good slot shots.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Had a good game overall

4th line scored our only goal. He was physical, held the puck better thah tavares did lol on the cycle albeit against 4th liners/bottom pairing

Good game for 4th line and reavo

Reavo caused the 2 on 1 and he got scored on - on his first shift