Trade proposal sends Leafs Ryan Reaves to the Chicago Blackhawks

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most popular NHL teams for fans to armchair GM, many of which used PuckPedia for their proposals after the loss of CapFriendly to the Washington Capitals. Now, one more fan has shared their proposal for the team.

This would send Ryan Reaves to the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2026 5th-round pick.

Ryan Reaves is a bold figure on the ice, known more for his aggressive mindset. After some longer stints in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues and later the Vegas Golden Knights, he has had a hard time sticking with one team, having only been signed to the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of last season following bouncing in the previous one from the Rangers to the Wild.

Ryan Reaves, now 37, has played one season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, appearing in 49 games during the 2023-24 regular season. Unfortunately, his lack of production as a forward can prove more of a liability for the team.

His current cap hit is at $1.35 million, and with the player not hitting free agency until 2026, it may be better to trade for a prospect. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks have more than sufficient cap space and could use the extra grit on a short-term basis.

Though many Toronto Maple Leafs fans may want to get rid of Ryan Reaves as soon as possible, it may be difficult to actually make that happen outside of an online tool like PuckPedia. Though a short-team enforcer could have some value, Ryan Reaves would likely not provide the Chicago Blackhawks enough to make this deal worthwhile.