Ryan Reaves Silences Critics With Comments About Whether or Not He's Ready for a Fight

Reaves, who is generally in the lineup for his aggression, intimidation factor, and most importantly, his fighting, has yet to drop the gloves this season despite being in the lineup against 3 heavyweight enforcers.

Many were expecting a fight on opening night against Montreal Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj and when that didn't take place, fans were curious as to why. The same rang true when the New York Rangers visited with Matt Rempe in the lineup.

According to Leafs Morning Take's Jay Rosehill, he found out that Rempe was willing to drop the gloves at a moment's notice, but apparently Reaves wouldn't entertain his offer, let alone give him any time of day. That led to many wondering why Reaves was rejecting offers and not giving his team a much needed spark when trailing in games - considering his fights have that kind of pull.

It turns out that Reaves was, in fact, willing to fight Rempe and had actually told the young forward that he would be a willing combatant if he saw him running around during their contest on Saturday night, according to Luke Fox.

It remains to be seen who was telling the truth, considering they both have different stories about the same incident. However, it is still a little strange that Reaves has yet to record a fighting major after accruing 7 of them in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Also, he's not forgetting that he's had a chance with Xhekaj, Rempe, and Mathieu Olivier to start the season. Should the opportunities present themselves again, we might see a very different outcome.

Perhaps the veteran forward is taking it easy, considering this is his 15th season in the NHL and that he has close to 1,100 PIMs under his belt, but it's also hard not to notice that all three games with Xhekaj, Rempe, and Olivier in the lineup, the Maple Leafs needed a spark as they were trailing and eventually lost all 3 games. Missed opportunities, it seems.