Will a 30-something enforcer ever get a multiyear contract again?

[Curufinwe]

With Deslauriers and Reaves having terrible seasons with two years still left on their contracts, will NHL GMs ever give term to an old face puncher again?

Deslauriers turns 33 next month and has two years left at $1.75m. As a Flyer, Deslauriers averages 9:01 at ES and the team has been scored 42-22 with him on the ice.

Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

Reaves just turned 37, and has two years left at $1.35m. Currently he is on IR, but he claims he is healthy and ready to play. As a Leaf, Reaves averages 7:17 at ES and the team has been outscored 13-2 with him on the ice.

Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

Click to read more...

 

[Johnny Rifle]

As long as there are old school owners and GMs out there who still think there are prominent roles left in today’s NHL for enforcers who do little else but fight there will be stupid contracts.

Hopefully this will end, but it will be slow, painful death.

 

[I Hate Philadelphia]

It won't end until people like Treliving aren't allowed to destroy a franchise / set them back 10-15 years and then get hired to do the same thing to another franchise.

 

[Laus723]

Depends on the “face puncher.” Reaves hasn’t been effective for awhile and Deslauriers is Deslauriers. Maroon was effective into his 30s and helped Tampa learn what it takes (according to a few interviews I’ve heard).

 

[isles55]

Matt Martin will get one this off-season.

 

[Wasted Talent]

You know you're overpaying for a tough guy when you've managed to outbid Guerin, which is the case for both Deslauriers and Reaves.

 

[Peasy]

Yes

 

[MadLuke]

ever again is a long time, change in medicine, society, nhl contract-hockey cap rule or just roster size could change all of it. (Obviously, they can only fight being the supposed premise here, if they are good enough at hockey and can fight they can always get good contract)

 

[Fatass]

If the guy only brings face punching then he’s not getting an nhl contract, with term, at any age. These guys are AHL and echl now. Do the two players in this OP bring anything else other than just face punching?

 

[MXD]

If the guy only brings face punching then he’s not getting an nhl contract, with term, at any age. These guys are AHL and echl now. Do the two players in this OP bring anything else other than just face punching?

Well, they absolutely were at some point, even if only at 4th line level.

 

[Hockeylife2018]

Reaves just turned 37, and has two years left at $1.35m. Currently he is on IR, but he claims he is healthy and ready to play.

Wait, is this even allowed?

 

[Fatass]

Well, they absolutely were at some point, even if only at 4th line level.

And that’s the key to having an nhl contract with term as a face puncher. The player must add something other than just fighting. Heavy forecheck, smart, pk, etc.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Wait, is this even allowed?

It's not LTIR, so no cap savings.

 

[trick9]

Does GM's learn from their mistakes?

 

[Czechboy]

I welcome a significant reduction of coke machines and face punchers.

When it was my teams facepuncher fighting your teams face puncher it was 'almost okay'. But now I find, occasionally, these guys take out superstars and I don't like that at all.

 

[admiralcadillac]

If they’re good enough players yeah

 

[The Flying Octopus]

 

[Satan]

Yes

 

[NVious]

Leafs sign Matt Martin 3x5, Liam O Brien 2x7, trade Matthews for Wilson, Marner for Josh Anderson, Nylander for Pat Maroon, Rielly for Luke Schenn and run the most truculent, snot filled, testosterone fuled team in the NHL (AINEC) this offseason.

 

[Your Boy Troy]

Giving any older 4th-liner term is stupid. That being said, Deslauriers is better than almost all of the mediocre finesse forwards that play on the 4th-line today.

 

[Beezeral]

will they? yes.

Should they? LMAO NO.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Name a better power couple than an old school GM and an overpaid coke machine.

I ship them.

 

[Jared Dunn]

IR is not LTIR, the Leafs get no cap advantage here they're just not playing a useless body

 

[SEALBound]

With the cap at $87.7mil and likely to go up, I wouldn't say "never again". $1-2mil will be 4th specialty player money next year so it's not like it will matter all that much. If you're going to have a mediocre player on the 4th line, they may as well be able to punch.

I think the future problem won't be the length on the contract but rather finding NHL caliber players that do it. They are getting few and far in between. What GMs can do is sign a guy who can't take a regular 4th line shift. I think the days of the 4-5min 4th line enforcer are likely done.

 

[57special]

I was surprisingly impressed by Reaves when he played for the Wild just last year. He is slow, and doesn't have much in the way of hands, but does have a very heavy forecheck, causing Dmen to cough up the puck sooner than they otherwise would. Also, as a body in front of the net, he is super tough to move, and if someone on the other team decides to he wants to deliver some punishment after the whistle he changes his mind pretty quickly. He also doesn't take bad penalties. When he bodychecks he makes a point of folding his arms in front of him and not extending them when he hits.
When with MN, he was on a line with two fast players who could cover for his lack of speed.

As a 12/13th forward he is nice to have around, especially if you are going to face a team that likes to intimidate. The key thing with him is that he knows the game, and doesn't put his team on the PK. That's the difference between him and all the guys that they have in the AHL, and ECHL.

TML overpaid, and overtermed him. Not his fault, their fault.