Reports indicate the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to move on from Ryan Reaves
With the Toronto Maple Leafs still trying to get over the early playoff exit hump, speculation is growing that Ryan Reaves no longer has a spot in the lineup
The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing the same questions for the 2024-25 season that they faced for the last few years. Can the team, which has been very good and even great in the regular season, finally make a big splash in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the attempt to find a solution, there is plenty of speculation that Ryan Reaves, one of the last pure enforcers in the NHL, simply no longer has a place with the team.
Jesse Courville-Lynch of The Hockey Writers believes the the Toronto Maple Leafs' enforcer could be headed for a trade due to a bolstered lineup. Reaves has failed to offer anything to the team other than the ability to throw hands when needed.
Grit and the ability to defend yourself and your teammates are still very important aspects of every Stanley Cup winning team. But, in today's league there is little room for players who can't do anything else. Elite teams are made up of players that can add offense, defense, penalty killing, and/or other aspects to their grit and scrappiness. Dressing players that are only valuable enough for five or so minutes of ice time during a game is all but a thing of the past.
The deciding factor in the Toronto Maple Leafs ability to move on from Ryan Reaves will be his salary. It's not a lot by today's standards, but a $1.35 million cap hit for a very one dimensional player can be a hard pill to swallow.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Ryan Reaves will still be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs by the time his current contract ends in two more seasons? | ||
| Yes | 16 | 15.8 % |
| No | 77 | 76.2 % |
| Not sure | 8 | 7.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
