OverDrive: Chris Johnston on the Ryan Reaves situation with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He thinks he’s healthy enough to play but he’s fallen down the depth the chart.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Bryan Hayes: “We noticed that Ryan Reaves was on the record this weekend saying that he’s healthy and ready to play and has been for weeks. And yet he’s on the IR basically because the Leafs won’t take them off (he’s been since activated when Tyler Bertuzzi left the team). This feels like it could get. possibly ugly. What do you what do you make of the comments? What do you make of Reaves and his future here in Toronto?”
Johnston: “Well, it’s not the situation you want with a player you gave a three-year contract to in the summer, that’s for sure. And you know, Reaves as a veteran. He was through this, through a similar situation actually, as recently as last season when had a string of scratches with the Rangers and they ultimately found a trading partner and sent them to Minnesota. Where he, you know, you had success and helped earn that contract.
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I think that the difference a year later is he’s a year older and he’s you know, he’s got a different contract attached to his name. And so I don’t know how this gets resolved. I mean, Reaves was professional in what he said. He certainly just, he didn’t hide his frustration or you know, would I expect any veteran who’s kind of in the circumstances he is where, you know, he basically lost his spot in the. in the day-to-day lineup with an injury. He feels he’s ready to play again for a while and hasn’t even had a sniff of the lineup, and he might actually be the 14th forward on a given night. Given the rotation they’ve had with (Nick) Robertson out, a fair bit of late.
So you know, it does feel like it probably has to come to a head at some point. But you know, I don’t know that it’s anything is imminent.”
Jeff O’Neil: “But what is ahead, what is it, what is come to ahead look like? Like what, what does that mean?”
Johsnton: “You put them on waivers. You know, see if he gets claimed and if not you send him to the American Hockey League. You know, maybe there’s a trade out there for him where he can get to a team that has a spot for him to play.
I mean it’s, the year started poorly for him, right? I think, frankly, was a bit of bad luck. But you know what, at one point, he’d been on the ice for I think 10 goals against in about 10 games played and then he runs into an injury.
It just has never got any traction here and it’s hard for him to have this sort of influence I think the management envisioned if he’s not playing, right? I mean, you can bring in character guys or swagger guys, competence guys, but you know, if they’re not really in the battle with your teammates to the same degree as someone who’s playing basically ever game I think it’s hard for him to be who we supposed to be.
And so I can’t imagine he’s gonna want to sit out the rest of the season, and maybe injuries or something will come along here and you know, give him a spot back to play. But you know, right now, he’s just kind of in a holding pattern and he’s not too happy about it.”
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Luke Fox of Sportsnet: From the Ryan Reaves interview:
“I mean, it’s not fun. Nobody likes watching hockey when your team’s going out to battle. I definitely hate it. But there’s nothing really more I can do. I don’t know exactly what the situation is or what’s going to happen. I guess just stay patient and find out,” Reaves says.
“I talked to my agents. I mean, I’ve been through this before. I’ve had highs and lows in my career before. I’d say probably this is one of the tougher ones. I guess just… it is what it is. You can only control what you can control. I don’t make the lineup, and I don’t have any control over the roster.
“So, I can’t really sit here and speculate and bitch and moan over anything. Either stay patient to get in the lineup — or stay patient for whatever else is going to come.”
