Ryan Reaves Drawing Attention, Making the Most of His Time Off During Maple Leafs Practice

After a gruesome scene in Toronto on Saturday, with Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse being helped off the ice, bloodied and stunned by an illegal check to the head from Leafs winger Ryan Reaves, it seemed like only a matter of time until the gavel came down hard, complete with a suspension announcement.

Such was the case when the NHL's Department of Player Safety issued a 5-game ban for the illegal check to the head, leaving Reaves out more than $35,000 in salary and banished to the press box until early December, with the Leafs having a particularly light schedule between now and December 4th against Nashville. This is when Reaves becomes eligible to return.

In his absence from game action, Reaves appears to be making the most of the time off, joining the Maple Leafs at practice to help strengthen some of the aspects of his game that need some extra attention.

According to The Hockey News' David Alter, Reaves took reps with the defense corps on Tuesday, wearing the black jersey and all.

Reaves has never been viewed as a defensive stalwart during his lengthy NHL career, so the veteran winger taking some reps with the blueliners could really help with the defensive aspects of his game.

The 37-year-old is viewed by many of his teammates, past and present, as the ultimate team-first guy.

That was evident over the weekend when he had stood at the head of the tunnel to pump his teammates up between periods even after being ejected from Saturday's game.

As a veteran of 15 NHL seasons, Reaves has been around the block and knows what it takes to have longevity in this league. Making the most of his time off and accepting a challenging assignment at practice is yet another example of his tremendous attitude.

He always puts the team first, and I'm sure everyone in Toronto appreciates it, even if it's difficult for him to face the reality of not playing for the remainder of the month.