The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed right-winger Ryan Reaves to a three-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.35 million.
A fifth-round draft pick in 2005, Reaves has played for five teams in 13 seasons in the NHL. In 2022-23, he played for both the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild, recording 15 points and 43 penalty minutes across 73 regular-season games, as well as 14 penalty minutes in six playoff games.
Reaves Brings Physicality and Aggression
The exact contributions that Reaves will provide for the Maple Leafs are obvious. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 225 pounds, he has spent his entire career as a tough, hard-hitting forward, mostly on fourth lines. He has never been afraid of contact, registering over 100 hits in every full season of his career and over 200 hits in eight different seasons. At the same time, his physical style of play has never massively impacted his durability. Still going strong at 36 years old, he has missed over 20 games in a season just once, and even led the NHL in games played during the 2019-20 season.
On the flip side, Reaves is not likely to generate outstanding offensive numbers, and has consistently found the penalty box far more often than he has found the back of the net during his career. He has never had a season with more points than penalty minutes, and for his career has 1,023 penalty minutes against 129 points in 828 regular-season games. But the Leafs know what they are gaining from him, and won’t go in with any unrealistic expectations for his role. They’ll be getting a tenacious, aggressive hitter who can use his size to his benefit and disrupt opposing puckhandlers, and they hope his gritty style of play will give them an edge that’s been missing in recent years.
Maple Leafs Will Need to Balance Reaves’ Upsides and Downsides
Every team needs at least one player willing to throw their weight around and do their team’s dirty work, and Toronto is getting that in Reaves. His enforcer mentality allows him to intimidate and outmuscle his opponents, creating both a psychological and physical edge for his team.
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But his style comes with downsides, as his physicality can at times turn into recklessness. As his penalty minutes show, he frequently forces his team to play shorthanded. His hits can be dangerous and lead to consequences, such as the numerous suspensions he has faced throughout his career. It’s hard to be your team’s brawn when you’re not allowed to play.
The Maple Leafs undoubtedly recognized these concerns when they chose to sign him, but decided that the risk was worthwhile. They will accept his ability to alter the course of a game with his hitting if it means more ice time for the penalty-killing unit or even an occasional suspension. As long as Toronto prepares for this reality and is willing to navigate it throughout the upcoming season, Reaves can be a valued member of the team.
The Maple Leafs have spent the last several seasons right on the edge of true title contention, employing tremendous skill players but consistently failing to make deep playoff runs despite seven consecutive postseason appearances. Now they’ll look to Reaves to add an element of toughness that they hope can put them over the top.