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2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

I’m not a big fan of Reaves or a fan of the theory of “intangibles” blah blah. So I might be tainted, but there’s something about the tone of this interview that I really don’t like

www.nytimes.com

Maple Leafs’ Ryan Reaves defends NHL record: ‘I’m gonna keep playing hard, if not harder now’

Commenting for the first time since his five-game suspension, Ryan Reaves spoke with regret about the result of his hit on Darnell Nurse.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com


This bit in particular

Nurse called it a “dangerous hit” in the aftermath and noted that “there are certain guys in the league that every shift, they go out there and they go out and try to inflict pain.
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……
The only truth that he spoke was I go out there to inflict pain. That’s a fact and that’s not gonna stop. But I’m gonna continue to do it legally. I’m gonna keep playing hard, if not harder now, and keep burying guys.
Click to expand...
 
Arn said:
I’m not a big fan of Reaves or a fan of the theory of “intangibles” blah blah. So I might be tainted, but there’s something about the tone of this interview that I really don’t like

www.nytimes.com

Maple Leafs’ Ryan Reaves defends NHL record: ‘I’m gonna keep playing hard, if not harder now’

Commenting for the first time since his five-game suspension, Ryan Reaves spoke with regret about the result of his hit on Darnell Nurse.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com


This bit in particular




……
Click to expand...
Yeah. Really makes it sound like he’s going to be even more of a liability out there. Not only will he not contribute, he’ll put the team on the PK more.
 
Bender said:
Mike Johnson disagrees. I think he's just speaking the truth, but he definitely needs to bring more than goonery.
Click to expand...

I'm with Mike

How often do we see the playoffs described as "war of attrition"?
Some physical pain is inflicted to wear down the opponent.

Imagine a coach "finish your checks but for God's sake, don't bruise them!!"
 
Arn said:
I’m not a big fan of Reaves or a fan of the theory of “intangibles” blah blah. So I might be tainted, but there’s something about the tone of this interview that I really don’t like

www.nytimes.com

Maple Leafs’ Ryan Reaves defends NHL record: ‘I’m gonna keep playing hard, if not harder now’

Commenting for the first time since his five-game suspension, Ryan Reaves spoke with regret about the result of his hit on Darnell Nurse.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com


This bit in particular




……
Click to expand...
I think he's puffing out his chest.
 
cw said:
I'm with Mike

How often do we see the playoffs described as "war of attrition"?
Some physical pain is inflicted to wear down the opponent.

Imagine a coach "finish your checks but for God's sake, don't bruise them!!"
Click to expand...
That’s true, but it’s generally not spoken about as inflicting pain. That’s just makes him come across as unhinged. Poor phrasing that feels like it speaks to his mindset - and it certainly describes about all he can do on the ice these days (and, unfortunately, not so much in a way that positive contributes to the team’s success).
 
Arn said:
I

I was going to mention Andersen on my list of decent goalies since Brodeur but I feel like he still had a capacity for a “bad” goal? Maybe I’m misremembering though.
Click to expand...

I feel like Freddy was good for a bad goal almost every game. He would stand on his head and then let in a stinker.
 
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Reactions: Arn
bustaheims said:
That’s true, but it’s generally not spoken about as inflicting pain. That’s just makes him come across as unhinged. Poor phrasing that feels like it speaks to his mindset - and it certainly describes about all he can do on the ice these days (and, unfortunately, not so much in a way that positive contributes to the team’s success).
Click to expand...

I think everyone accepts hockey is a physical game and there is a level of "grind" be that through hits, board play etc.

But to me this interview just seemed to translate as "I'm limited in how I can contribute so I'll try and go out and injure* the opposition". It was as much the way he communicated it? It just seems like a bad attitude and a very outdated way of thinking.

I'd honestly rather the experiment with him could be ended and rather see players like Grebenkin play regularly and wear down the opposition while also actually having potential to contribute in other ways.

We lack depth scoring. Having Reaves in the team doesn't stop the likes of Marchand acting like a bell-end against us. We just played one of our better spells in terms of results with no sign of Reaves in the lineup.


(I appreciate he is trying to say he can do this 'fairly', but, yeah)
 
L K said:
I feel like Freddy was good for a bad goal almost every game. He would stand on his head and then let in a stinker.
Click to expand...
Yeah I think this is maybe it. His overall quality was maybe higher than the others and he had a higher ceiling. But he still had that knack for a bad one which probably hurt more cos he was expected to make them more than some others had been...
 
Arn said:
I think everyone accepts hockey is a physical game and there is a level of "grind" be that through hits, board play etc.

But to me this interview just seemed to translate as "I'm limited in how I can contribute so I'll try and go out and injure* the opposition". It was as much the way he communicated it? It just seems like a bad attitude and a very outdated way of thinking.

I'd honestly rather the experiment with him could be ended and rather see players like Grebenkin play regularly and wear down the opposition while also actually having potential to contribute in other ways.

We lack depth scoring. Having Reaves in the team doesn't stop the likes of Marchand acting like a bell-end against us. We just played one of our better spells in terms of results with no sign of Reaves in the lineup.


(I appreciate he is trying to say he can do this 'fairly', but, yeah)
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Agreed. It would be one thing if Reaves could still be an effective forechecker, but he's been skating too slowly this season to make that work. Grebs, on the other hand, has the speed and the willingness to get involved physically that the team needs, as well as some offensive potential.

At this point, Reaves really provides little to nothing, and Berube seems to at least recognize that some - he's averaging less than 8 minutes of ice time. If he's barely going to see the ice any way, why bother dressing him ahead of someone who can actually contribute.
 
bustaheims said:
Agreed. It would be one thing if Reaves could still be an effective forechecker, but he's been skating too slowly this season to make that work. Grebs, on the other hand, has the speed and the willingness to get involved physically that the team needs, as well as some offensive potential.

At this point, Reaves really provides little to nothing, and Berube seems to at least recognize that some - he's averaging less than 8 minutes of ice time. If he's barely going to see the ice any way, why bother dressing him ahead of someone who can actually contribute.
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Reaves big thing beyond fighting is hitting and a few shot blocks. Over last season and this, -13 (worst on the team) 8 mins/game
Benoit has as many fights as Reaves last year. Domi too.

Look at Lorentz. He hits lots but he blocks more shots, more takeaways, chips in more offensively, better skater, forechecks, helps on the PK, no PIM this season - he's a 4th liner but a better rounded, smarter, more disciplined, more useful player. 11 mins/game

I have more time for Grebenkin too. He's rough around the edges but he has 3rd liner possibilities - maybe more in the years to come.

If they feel compelled to keep Reaves around, just put him in for when the opponent is likely to dress their own sasquatch.
 
Arn said:
I think everyone accepts hockey is a physical game and there is a level of "grind" be that through hits, board play etc.

But to me this interview just seemed to translate as "I'm limited in how I can contribute so I'll try and go out and injure* the opposition". It was as much the way he communicated it? It just seems like a bad attitude and a very outdated way of thinking.

I'd honestly rather the experiment with him could be ended and rather see players like Grebenkin play regularly and wear down the opposition while also actually having potential to contribute in other ways.

We lack depth scoring. Having Reaves in the team doesn't stop the likes of Marchand acting like a bell-end against us. We just played one of our better spells in terms of results with no sign of Reaves in the lineup.


(I appreciate he is trying to say he can do this 'fairly', but, yeah)
Click to expand...
I listened to the interview and to me he was just thinking yeah, I'm going to lean into it and show that I'm still going to play physical and I'm going to intimidate. Inflicting pain is a much different thing than intent to injure or illegal hits. He may have outlived his usefulness as a player, and we all know his many limitations (I'd probably keep him as the 13th forward at best if it were up to me) but for a guy like that I can easily see why he wouldn't let that kind of criticism affect him.
 
I like Reeves and I think Berube does too. He's a valuable player in certain circumstances. You're dreaming if you think he's going anywhere any time soon.
 
K
cw said:
I'm with Mike

How often do we see the playoffs described as "war of attrition"?
Some physical pain is inflicted to wear down the opponent.

Imagine a coach "finish your checks but for God's sake, don't bruise them!!"
Click to expand...
Kyper also gave the statement a two thumbs up.

Reaves is a role player and that's his role.
 
Clearly Berube sees value in Reaves because he plays him. And probably he's given Reavo instructions to hold off on the fighting for now and focus on his play, otherwise we would have seen a couple of scraps by now because that's Reavo's raison d'etre.

Reaves is like "carrying a big stick" for the team.

During the regular season, and especially when playoffs come with 7 games, teams will think twice about hurting one of the Leafs elite or a rookie like Minten....even with Reavo in the press box.

Remember when Florida totally clobbered Knies and got zero push back. Reavo gives guys like Minten, or even Marner and Robertson more freedom.

And when Reavo is on the ice, Opposing players will have that millisecond of tension and reservation in their step. Ask Nurse.

It's Berube Hockey, and he's the arbiter of this decision. He clearly sees the value.
 
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