Whether or not you like the guy, there's no arguing how influential the legendary Don Cherry has been in the hockey community for decades. While his best days are undoubtedly long behind him, he's still known to make a good point every now and again. Most recently, he took to Twitter to share a pretty important detail about this new-look Leafs team.
The Leafs spent the first day of free agency signing a 36-year-old Ryan Reaves, an offensive defenseman who is viewed as a bit of a liability in his own zone in John Klingberg, and a handful of AHLers to new deals. Brad Treliving sure wasn't receiving a lot of praise after day one. However, on day two of free agency, Treliving really began to cook. Not only did he manage to sign one of the top UFAs in Tyler Bertuzzi, but he also dipped into the legacy books to sign Max Domi, son of Leafs alumnus Tie Domi.
The funny thing about perspective is that it can change very quickly. After signing Reaves and Klingberg, nobody was rushing to give Treliving any praise. However, the additions of Bertuzzi and Domi just a day later creates a much different impression of his body of work and goes a long way in trying to complete the picture. Now, with Bertuzzi, Domi and Reaves all in the fold, Cherry put the Atlantic Division and the rest of the NHL on notice on Sunday. The Leafs are not pushovers anymore. Now, they're ready to do the pushing.
Having 3 guys like that on the roster should help everyone else on the roster to feel a little more insulated and protected. Do you think anyone is going to be rushing to take a run at Mitch Marner when Ryan Reaves is looking over the bench and taking a number? Do you think anyone is going to try to facewash John Tavares while Max Domi and his short fuse are standing next to the captain? Do you think Tyler Bertuzzi has any time at all for someone giving his goaltender a bit of a pad slash after the whistle?
