Following their second-round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers last season, there were some questions raised around the culture within the Toronto Maple Leafs’ room. Some went as far as suggesting that the reason behind Ryan O’Reilly’s departure were to do with the team culture — accusations that were unfounded.
Regardless, when Brendan Shanahan parted ways with Kyle Dubas and brought in Brad Treliving, there was an expectation that the Maple Leafs would add some personalities to a lineup that may have been lacking them in recent years.
It didn’t take long, either. Treliving went out and added three players that carry stronger personalities — moves that on paper only enhance the already existing culture within the room. He added two smaller gritty players in Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, along with an enforcer that may be the best heavyweight in today’s NHL — Ryan Reaves, a player known for his personality.
Reaves Not Worried About Current Culture
In a recent media availability, Reaves noted that the Maple Leafs have possibly been missing some grit in the past number of years. He alludes to Domi and Bertuzzi bringing some grit to the lineup and clarifies the rumoured culture in the Maple Leafs’ room.
In the video, Reaves mentions how some of the team has already gone out for beers and played golf, building that chemistry off the ice. He also counters the previous report stemming from O’Reilly’s departure saying that he feels as though the Maple Leafs have a tight group and that everyone likes to hang out together.
While it’s a good start, he says he’ll bring a loud personality to a room that has come across as quiet at times. His energy in all aspects of team events is something he hopes will resonate with some of the younger guys.
Reaves Already Leaving Impression on His New Teammates
Being a loud, outgoing personality comes with territory when talking about Reaves. After all, he’s been around the league for a while and understands what a room needs and sometimes that lightening things up a bit — a tactic he has used in other stops along his career.
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While he hasn’t actually suited up for a regular season game for the Maple Leafs yet, Reaves is already leaving an impression on some of his teammates when it comes to what he brings to the team — both on and off the ice.
“Any time you can add a unique personality, we’re excited about that,” said Maple Leafs’ captain John Tavares. “He understands the dynamic of the league and the locker room.”
Defenceman Morgan Rielly added that while he doesn’t think a quiet room is quite an accurate description of the team’s locker room, Reaves will bring some “swagger and character” to the team both on and off the ice.
Reaves Adds Fear Factor to Maple Leafs’ Lineup
As for what he can bring to this team on the ice, it’s pretty simple. In over 820 regular season NHL games, Reaves has 59 goals and 129 points, so he wasn’t exactly brought in for his offensive production.
Instead, take note of his 1,023 career penalty minutes. He’s easily been one of the most feared enforcers in the NHL for the past 13 years and that fear factor is something the Maple Leafs have been lacking consistently in recent memory.
Wayne Simmonds and Kyle Clifford added some of that, but not to the same extent that Reaves can. It’s something the Maple Leafs lacked in their series against the Panthers last year — a series that saw the team pushed around and beaten up on a little more than they would’ve liked.
While there’s no guarantee that Reaves will be in the lineup for all 82 games and certainly no guarantee that he becomes a playoff starter, the commitment the Maple Leafs and Treliving made in signing him to a three-year deal should suggest that they will likely value his place within the lineup for at least the next couple of seasons.