Ryan Reaves reveals his plans to help the Leafs get over the hump in hilarious interview
If nothing else, the Leafs will be more fun to watch this season than in seasons past. When 36-year-old Ryan Reaves signed his 3-year, $4.05M contract in Toronto yesterday, many questioned the signing. Reaves has never been a scorer or a speedster, and he's not overly skilled on defense either. So why is a 36-year-old fourth liner making over a million dollars a year to wear the Maple Leaf?
Reaves specializes in one area. Toughness. There isn't a single player in the NHL that can claim to be a better fighter or a bigger hitter. In the locker room, he's a loud, confident presence. On the ice, he strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents. Love it or hate it, the Leafs needed a player like Reaves.
After the signing, Reaves joined TSN's James Duthie for a quick interview. Wearing sunglasses and a huge grin, Reaves outlined what he plans to bring to a Toronto team desperate for playoff success.
Sounds like a pretty solid plan to me! Duthie also asked Reaves about dealing with the pressures that come from playing in a market like Toronto. Being that this is Reaves' first time playing for a Canadian team, the media attention will definitely be more intense. Of course, Reaves had the perfect answer.
Duthie: "Do you have a list or something you've compiled?"
Reaves: "Honestly anyone that's in a different sweater is free for that list, I'm taking applications."
Yeah, I think Leafs fans are going to like this guy. As an added bonus, Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett do indeed wear different sweaters. If anyone in the Leafs organization happens to read this, please inform Mr. Reaves that there is a backlog of beatings owed before he gets to working on his new list.
One thing that has been tossed around as a goal for the Leafs this year is de-emphasizing the core four. With the amount of media attention Reaves will draw, he may take some of the pressure off the likes of Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares. This was evidenced by the nearly 20 minutes of air time TSN dedicated to breaking down the signing, or, as Duthie put it, "The McDavid treatment." A smiling Reaves had a one liner for that one as well.
Time will tell whether the Leafs will be a better team under Treliving than they were under Dubas. With Reaves now in the mix, they will at the very least be more entertaining, both on and off the ice.
Full interview below
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 2 | 633 ANSWERS Ryan Reaves reveals his plans to help the Leafs get over the hump in hilarious interview Who would you like to see Reaves drop the gloves with first? | ||
| Matthew Tkachuk | 244 | 38.5 % |
| Arber Xhekaj | 62 | 9.8 % |
| Sam Bennett | 278 | 43.9 % |
| Other | 49 | 7.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
