Worrying development regarding Ryan Reaves emerges in new report

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Julien Trekker
August 7, 2024 (11:34)

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A worrying development regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs' enforcer Ryan Reaves emerged in a new report.

The Maple Leafs general manager, Brad Treliving, made interesting acquisitions during the summer, especially at the blue line.

Considering that many great young prospects are slowly climbing up the organizational ladders, such as Fraser Minten, Pontus Holmberg, and Easton Cowan, the Leafs' coaching staff and management will need to make tough decisions for the opening night's roster.

It has been put forward that some of the Leafs' veterans could be at risk of losing their spot in the lineup. This includes Ryan Reaves and David Kampf, who will need to perform well in the training camp to show their new head coach, Craig Berube, that they can bring something special to the team.

Both Kampf and Reaves weren't so great in the 2023-24 season: Kampf scored 19 points in 79 games, while Reaves took part in only 49 games due to injuries, and Sheldon Keefe, who scratched him from the lineup on multiple occasions.

Craig Berube will be in a tough position as he decides who will be in the lineup for the start of the season.

Back in his playing days, Berube played the same enforcer role and could decide to go easy on him. However, Berube will likely make the professional decisions, even if he could have a soft spot for Reaves.

"Since Berube played a similar role to Reaves during his NHL career, he might have a soft spot for the bruising forward and what he brings to the team. Then again, he's a professional who is likely able to avoid making emotional decisions."

Internal competition is a great thing to have in any team, especially in organizations looking to make a splash in the season and reach deep playoff rounds.

If Reaves or Kampf ends up being replaced by a younger prospect in the lineup, Brad Treliving could be looking to offload one of them on the trade market, to free up cap space or get draft picks.

Source: HockeyFeed
Terrible blow to Ryan Reaves in Toronto!

Source for Ryan Reaves' statistics: Hockey DB
Ryan Reaves

Source for David Kampf's statistics: Hockey DB
David Kampf