Ryan Reaves reveals the truth about what the Maple Leafs did to him last season before showing him the door

Originally signed by the Maple Leafs in the summer of 2023, Ryan Reaves was brought in to be a good veteran leader, enforcer and "glue guy" at the bottom of the lineup.

The 3-year deal never did receive rave reviews, but it was the price of doing business at the time, as Reaves was mulling over several 1 and 2-year deals from rival organizations.

In the end, Reaves played just 2 of his 3 seasons in Toronto before being shipped off to the San Jose Sharks earlier this year. Now, back in Toronto to take on his former Leafs teammates tonight, Reaves had a chance to sit down with reporters, revealing the truth behind what happened between he and the team last season.

Reaves began flashing some of that typical Reaves charm, greeting the media with a quip about all of the attention he has received during his first trip back to Toronto since being shipped out.

When asked about his departure, "Reavo" told reporters that he did not have any ill will or hold any grudges towards the Leafs for withholding him from the lineup and how their partnership ended, but he did suggest that he would have liked more "honesty and communication".

He also revealed that while the Leafs weren't the most open and communicative, they did inform him, in not so many words, that he could not play in the NHL any longer as they continued to scratch him, game after game. His message to the team on Thursday was a simple: "I'm back".

Reaves has appeared in 25 games for the Sharks this season, scoring 2 goals and racking up 19 minutes in penalties so far this season. We do know that Reaves has some significant knee issues, but thus far, it has not prevented him from playing his heart out for his new team.

The 38-year-old Reaves has already confirmed that he hopes to reach the 1000-game milestone before he hangs up his skates and announces his NHL retirement. Currently at 937 games played, with only 51 games remaining on the schedule, the veteran forward will need to secure a contract for next season in order to hit that milestone.