Why Ryan Reaves still has value to the Maple Leafs amid trade speculation

Reaves skated in just 49 games with the Leafs last season, often finding himself being the odd man out when the Leafs were healthy. Reaves began the season minus-11 through the first 14 games which led to many fans thinking that his time with the Leafs was over before it began.

After being a healthy scratch for a lengthy stretch of games, Reaves returned to the lineup briefly, before suffering a knee injury in early December that forced him to miss almost six weeks. Upon his return, Reaves' season turned around in the sense that he wasn't as much of an issue defensively as he was at the beginning of the season. He also managed to contribute three goals and five points when he returned from injury while averaging just over 8 minutes of ice-time per game.

Heading into the second year of the three-year deal he signed last off-season, the 37-year-old may find himself playing a little bit more under new head coach Craig Berube. Berube is known as a coach that likes to roll four lines more consistently and have his teams play a more physical game. Reaves has shown that he can be a serviceable fourth-liner in seasons past with the right opportunity. His most productive seasons came with the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild, two teams that prefer to roll four lines more consistently. With the increased opportunity, Reaves totalled 20, 15 and 15 points respectively.

Reaves' value goes well beyond what he does or doesn't produce on the scoresheet. We know that Reaves is more than just your average 4th liner. He oozes confidence, provides energy to the bench, is very vocal with his teammates and can act as a deterrent for questionable behaviour for the opposition. That, and he can still throw hands with the best or them, as is evidenced from this epic clash with Tanner Jeannot last season.

There has been some chatter this week that Reaves may, in fact, be available for trade. While a Reaves deal would open up $1.35M in cap space, the Leafs may not be in as big a rush to deal him as some may think.

With training camp beginning in a matter of weeks, how Berube uses Reaves and his other forwards will be something to keep an eye on as the season approaches and training camp rosters are trimmed. We could very well see Reaves pushing for a little extra responsibility come opening night.

Source: Hockey Reference
Ryan Reaves' career stats