Ryan Reaves Reveals What he Plans to Bring to a Toronto Team Desperate for Playoff Success

The Leafs' Fresh Face: Ryan Reaves

Questions were raised when Ryan Reaves, at the age of 36, signed his 3-year, $4.05M contract with Toronto.

He's no speedster, scoring champ, or defensive whizz. Yet this fourth liner will be donning the Maple Leaf for over a million dollars annually. The reason? His unique selling point and undeniable charm.

Reaves' Niche: A Blend of Toughness and Charisma

Reaves is, simply put, a master of toughness. In the NHL, no one can contest his prowess as the biggest hitter or the best fighter.

His charisma in the locker room is palpable, and his intimidating presence on the ice terrifies his adversaries. Despite whatever your feelings regarding Reaves may be, this was exactly the type of player the Leafs needed

Following his signing, Reaves, grinning broadly and donning sunglasses, joined James Duthie of TSN for an interview, during which he laid out his plans for a Toronto team hungry for playoff triumphs.

Handling Pressure and The Leaf's Game Plan

Duthie probed about how Reaves plans to handle the pressure of playing in a city like Toronto, especially given the heightened media scrutiny due to it being his first stint with a Canadian team. His response was vintage Reaves.

Reaves responded, expressing that he will just beat someone up and all the pressure will be over.

To Duthie's inquiry about a potential 'hit list,' Reaves replied:


It's safe to say that Leafs fans will take a liking to this kind of attitude. As a fringe benefit, players like Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett, who sport different jerseys, may be in for a surprise.

Diverting Media Attention

The Leafs' potential strategy this year might be to deflect focus away from the 'core four'. Given the media attention that Reaves is bound to attract, he could alleviate some of the crushing attention from these key players.

A Glimpse Into the Future

With the addition of such an eccentric personality courtesy of Reaves, the Leafs are guaranteed to be a much more engaging team in the foreseeable future.

As Read on MapleLeafsInsider - Ryan Reaves reveals his plans to help the Leafs get over the hump in hilarious interview