Ryan Reaves Traded After Mitch Marner-Related Comments, Fueling Leafs Fan Speculation
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Ryan Reaves to San Jose on Thursday night, and the reasoning behind it may be his assistance in helping Mitch Marner choose Vegas as his future home.
It was a bit of a shock to hear that the Maple Leafs had traded veteran enforcer Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for young depth defenseman Henry Thrun.
Not so much that Reaves was traded, that seemed inevitable. But it was that he was dealt for someone with so much potential and was able to get his contract dumped in the first place.
San Jose needed to add some money to their cap floor, and Thrun was essentially pushed out thanks to their free agent signings and youth movement on the back end.
Ryan Reaves' interview may have led to quick departure
But it was only hours after Reaves gave an interview, and the content of that discussion may have been a key contributing factor as to why he was dealt.
In his interview, Reaves defended former teammate Mitch Marner for choosing Vegas and signing a massive extension, stating he deserves the deal as much as anyone; fan outrage be damned.
Though in doing so, seemed he made his path out of town much easier. It's speculated that Reaves was in Marner's ear about Vegas as a destination, and that may have helped convince him to leave.
Fans are also taking notice that Reaves' comments may have been the last straw for Brad Treliving and he needed to show that things truly are different.
Ryan Reaves' short-lived time with Toronto: A recap
Reaves signed with the Leafs in the summer of 2023 and he was expected to bring in a lot of help in the bottom-six when it came to physicality and toughness.
It never really panned out, and Reaves was waived earlier this season in order to make room for deadline acquisitions like Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo.
In 84 games with Toronto, Reaves had eight points (4 goals, 4 assists) while amassing 77 PIM and a minus-15 rating.
The 16-year veteran has skated in 912 games and has 137 points (63 goals, 74 assists) and exactly 1,100 PIM; he spent time with St. Louis, New York, Vegas, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Toronto.
However way you look at it, Toronto is certainly trying to change things up, and getting rid of Reaves accomplished that in spades.
But it may have been his own undoing, and might be a lesson to keep his opinions to himself.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 11 | 4302 ANSWERS Ryan Reaves Traded After Mitch Marner-Related Comments, Fueling Leafs Fan Speculation Was Ryan Reaves' defense of Mitch Marner the reason he was traded? | ||
| Yes | 1497 | 34.8 % |
| No | 2805 | 65.2 % |
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