What exactly does Reaves do?

[Brown Dog]

This. With the Wild, he appeared to be capable of playing a shift on the 4th line. Here in Toronto however, that is not the case.

All he had to do against Boston was back his ass into the goalie and dare somebody to do something or run around and run some guys. He didn’t need to Bertuzzi Brad Marchand. Instead, he did nothing but talk from the bench.

Team toughness cannot be solved by one guy but I hoped this signing would spark this team to come together as a unit and stop being victims of bullying - I was wrong. I’m not an old school hockey supporter but holy shit watching Knies and Lilly get injured with zero push back at all is pathetic and to me the epitome of why this team can’t dig deep and win when the tempo picks up.

Yeah, to hear the buzz after that Boston game that they didn't like their (lack of) response to the hit was sickening. They really needed to reflect? Wasn't that the whole purpose of adding a guy like Reaves in the offseason?!?

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Toronto fans love to hammer on the worst player. It's almost a national past time. If Reaves gets waived fans will just find next worst guy to hammer on.

No one has learned from the Larry Murphy, Hal Gill, and Justin Holl experiences. They just want to hate, and keep hating to feel better about themselves.

Both Keefe and Treliving are not blind. They want to keep their jobs. It's just never prudent to demote/trade players as fast as fans want to see them go.

Maybe Reaves is injured. Maybe he came to camp out of shape. Maybe Treliving saw him more as a Marlie.
Perhaps he's just quite bad and age is catching up him now. This isn't the worst position a GM has been in.

I'm just so sick of these beat on the worst guy threads. BT has much bigger things to worry about.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

"I hope he tries that"

Based on Reaves talking tough in media, while allowing the oldest player in the league to do the actual standing up for his teammates, I assume that was the real reason he was brought in.

Not to be an enforcer at all.

But to be a voice in the locker room. An extremely well paid motivational speaker. Someone who can push these guys to do the things they just don't want to do themselves.

I know the team has more issues than the million dollar thug they pay to not play.

But bringing Reaves in just to press box him seems counterintuitive. Unless the objective wasn't to actually have him punching faces. But to encourage the rest of the team to do it themselves instead.

I mean, let's face it, the biggest thing about this guy is his mouth.

 

[no2ninja]

I just found out he is the great great great grand son of BASS REEVES, damn I heard about his great grandpa before I heard of Ryan, and he was a certified bad ass! I no longer want this dude off our team, we need to give him a chance, play it out a little longer, I am sure there is good to come out of him.

'It's pretty cool': Ryan Reaves talks about TV show based on his great-great-great-grandfather

The Toronto bruiser has learned a lot more about the history and importance of his distant relative Bass Reeves, who was one of the first Black deputy U.S. Marshals.

www.espn.com

(Sorry if this has already been mentioned, kind of hard to follow every post on the forum)

EDIT:

 

[darrylsittler27]

He was brought in as a deterrent and motivational speaker but 3 years? We may have to press box him until he wants to play. Right now, he is a liability.

 

[Macallan18]

He carries on the heavy legacy of Bass Reaves, great series by the way.

I just found out he is the great great great grand son of BASS REEVES, damn I heard about his great grandpa before I heard of Ryan, and he was a certified bad ass! I no longer want this dude off our team, we need to give him a chance, play it out a little longer, I am sure there is good to come out of him.

'It's pretty cool': Ryan Reaves talks about TV show based on his great-great-great-grandfather

The Toronto bruiser has learned a lot more about the history and importance of his distant relative Bass Reeves, who was one of the first Black deputy U.S. Marshals.

www.espn.com

(Sorry if this has already been mentioned, kind of hard to follow every post on the forum)

EDIT:


View attachment 769174

He sure as hell can't shoot like Bass.

 

[TheRumble]

The recent game vs the Blackhawks is kinda the best version of Reaves we can hope for:

- He scored a goal
- He wasn't on ice for any goals against
- He dragged a much better player (Seth Jones) into a fight and took him off the ice for 5 minutes.

And credit where it's due, I've hated the Reaves signing since Day 1 and still hate it but the most recent game in Chicago is the best I've ever seen the 4th line with Reaves play.

 

[Cecithepylon]

The 4th line has looked better lately. Maybe if we play Reeves like 30 games a year it’ll be ok

 

[fancy lad]

Honestly they look better overall with bobby Mcmann.

can we end this experiment already.

 

[Suntouchable13]

He was brought in as a deterrent and motivational speaker but 3 years? We may have to press box him until he wants to play. Right now, he is a liability.

Signing Bert and Domi to 1 year deals was fine, but then you sign this guy to a 3 year deal? I don’t get it.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Signing Bert and Domi to 1 year deals was fine, but then you sign this guy to a 3 year deal? I don’t get it.

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• It is a twoway street,. Reave knows he is done. he needs a max contract

 

[Menzinger]

Signing Bert and Domi to 1 year deals was fine, but then you sign this guy to a 3 year deal? I don’t get it.

Think it's not much more than a classic case of a GM fixating on getting the specific player and opted to pay whatever the ask was. It wasn't a confidence that Reaves was his first singing in free agency.

Now we wait to see if it was the right decision

 

[Apex Predator]

Just send him to the minors and let’s move on. It’s a little bit of a cap hit to bury him this year but manageable. I’d like to see Steeves and holmberg back. Let’s see what they can do.

 

[shenmue16]

Didn't they try this before with Steve Ott in Detroit?

 

[darrylsittler27]

Signing Bert and Domi to 1 year deals was fine, but then you sign this guy to a 3 year deal? I don’t get it.

Treveling made some mistakes and this was one of them. It's obvious the coach didn't want him. When you are cap strapped you can't make these mistakes. You now have a guy you can never afford to play.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

Treliving got caught up in the "the team has no toughness" mantra, which was completely true after last season and the playoffs. The team has no bite. So he figured he'd go out and get an "enforcer" who will be "imposing". Problem is, players in Reaves' role are useless these days. Not only is fighting no longer an integral part of the game (which I have absolutely no issue with), but players like these aren't even going to make opponents quake in their skate boots. They'd get more excited seeing a stiff skating out there for 6 minutes a game on the 4th line to take advantage of than fear they're going to get knocked out.

Sucks that Treliving offered not only top dollar for a player like this, but also too many years. I will applaud Treliving for burying Reaves and his contract when the time comes -- and it should be sooner rather than later -- in that he admitted a mistake and rectified it.

 

[Ciao]

@Ianturnedbull Have you forgotten about Aki Berg?

 

[Larcos_Unal]

oh god...oh no...anything but this

 

[mjd1001]

Treliving got caught up in the "the team has no toughness" mantra, which was completely true after last season and the playoffs. The team has no bite. So he figured he'd go out and get an "enforcer" who will be "imposing". Problem is, players in Reaves' role are useless these days. Not only is fighting no longer an integral part of the game (which I have absolutely no issue with), but players like these aren't even going to make opponents quake in their skate boots. They'd get more excited seeing a stiff skating out there for 6 minutes a game on the 4th line to take advantage of than fear they're going to get knocked out.

Sucks that Treliving offered not only top dollar for a player like this, but also too many years. I will applaud Treliving for burying Reaves and his contract when the time comes -- and it should be sooner rather than later -- in that he admitted a mistake and rectified it.

Toughness...hard to play against....are they the same thing and how important are they?

Ideally if I'm an opposing player, I agree with you that they do NOT make anyone 'quake in their boots'. You know what time of team I Don't want to play against? A team (or player) that goes 100% all the time. Up by 4 goals, down by 4 goals, tied...no matter what they are skating hard at me...forechecking me tough, not letting up. Making me chase for every loose puck. Not letting me have one second to coast or glide or else they will make me look bad for it.

THAT is the type of player/team I don't want to play against. I don't care if he is 5'8 and 155 or 6'4 and 230.....the one who just won't leave me alone and is relentless. Get a team with enough players like that....and THAT is the team that opponents want no part of. And if opponents don't want anay part for that for a single game, what are they thinking when they have a possible 7 game series against a team full of players like that?

 

[BallardEra]

Reavo wants to play!:

‘I definitely hate it’: Maple Leafs’ Reaves discusses string of healthy scratches – Sportsnet.ca

www.sportsnet.ca

Half of Reaves’ job was to lay hits, inject intimidation, and wear down the opposition in the O-zone. The other half was to liven the dressing-room culture, to let his swagger infect others, to play dressing-room DJ and pump up the fellas.

When the Maple Leafs win these days, someone in the room cues up an old G-Unit banger, “I Like the Way She Do It,” to celebrate at full volume. Reaves didn’t pick the song.

“Wasn’t me,” he says. “Good track, though.”

 

[PanniniClaus]

Might have been nice to have him last night... play 1 shift per period and go with 11 forwards otherwise. barely played the 4th anyway..

Tonight would not be the right night.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Reavo wants to play!:

‘I definitely hate it’: Maple Leafs’ Reaves discusses string of healthy scratches – Sportsnet.ca

www.sportsnet.ca

Half of Reaves’ job was to lay hits, inject intimidation, and wear down the opposition in the O-zone. The other half was to liven the dressing-room culture, to let his swagger infect others, to play dressing-room DJ and pump up the fellas.

When the Maple Leafs win these days, someone in the room cues up an old G-Unit banger, “I Like the Way She Do It,” to celebrate at full volume. Reaves didn’t pick the song.

“Wasn’t me,” he says. “Good track, though.”

So you're telling me Treliving's first order of business on July 1st was to give a 36 year old with no knees a 3 year contract?

 

[NVious]

Reavo wants to play!:

‘I definitely hate it’: Maple Leafs’ Reaves discusses string of healthy scratches – Sportsnet.ca

www.sportsnet.ca

Half of Reaves’ job was to lay hits, inject intimidation, and wear down the opposition in the O-zone. The other half was to liven the dressing-room culture, to let his swagger infect others, to play dressing-room DJ and pump up the fellas.

When the Maple Leafs win these days, someone in the room cues up an old G-Unit banger, “I Like the Way She Do It,” to celebrate at full volume. Reaves didn’t pick the song.

“Wasn’t me,” he says. “Good track, though.”

So he sucks so hard he has even lost the ability to pick good songs?

 

[Larcos_Unal]

So he sucks so hard he has even lost the ability to pick good songs?

Half his job is to play hockey, maybe he should have signed for league minimum and MLSE could give him the other half off the cap...for the sick, phat beats.

 

[tmlms13]

I'm assuming he'll be bought out after the year, will save about 1m vs having him as a healthy scratch.

He can go whine about his lack of playing time somewhere else