The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping they can make it back to the postseason after another season of disappointment in their 2022-23 campaign. At the time of this article, they sit tied for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with the Detroit Red Wings, but luckily they have games in hand on every team above them. It’s fair to assume they will be buying at the 2024 Trade Deadline to bolster their roster and try to make their team the most competitive it’s ever been. Having not won a Stanley Cup since 1967 takes a toll on a franchise, and they’ll be looking to change the narrative that they can’t win another one.
The Maple Leafs don’t have much room on their salary cap this season, sitting at just under $35,000 with no money being accrued for the deadline. For the team to be able to make trades and improve their roster, they will have to move out some money. One player who has found themself on the outside looking in is veteran forward Ryan Reaves, who signed a three-year contract this past offseason worth $1.35 million per season. After his comments stating he hates sitting out after being healthy for a couple of weeks, there is a possibility his time with the Maple Leafs is coming to an end.
“That’s a question for them. I am not in those rooms, in those conversations. I’m not going to speculate anything. Just stay ready. And if I get called upon, I do. If I don’t, I get my work in.”
– Ryan Reaves (Maple Leafs’ Reaves discusses string of healthy scratches)
Reaves dropped the word “speculate” which could hint at something else going on behind the scenes. Whether or not he is on his way out of Toronto, there is proof in his production that he is the odd man out and could be someone the team chooses to move on from to free up cap space. With that being said, three rebuilding teams could take an interest in acquiring him and taking on his contract to add veteran depth while the team continues through its long process.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks earned the holy grail of draft picks when they won the draft lottery and earned the opportunity to select Connor Bedard out of the Western Hockey League (WHL) who was playing for the Regina Pats and was considered to be a potential superstar. As the Blackhawks continue through their long rebuild, they have surrounded Bedard with veterans he can continue to learn the parts of the game from, and could benefit from Reaves in two ways. He is another veteran with term on his contract who can add depth and boost morale in the locker room, and the Maple Leafs may be willing to trade him for close to nothing.
For a trade to work between the two sides, it likely takes a few moving parts. Blackhawks general manager (GM) Kyle Davidson has made it well known he is interested in spacing out his draft picks, so he could be interested in taking a 2024 fourth-round pick, and a 2026 seventh-round pick from the Maple Leafs on top of Reaves, which they don’t have and could move in the future, in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick, which they have two of. The Blackhawks could also decide to trade the fourth-round pick for Reaves if their goal is to clear the logjam of picks.
“I don’t want to say you can have too many of them, but it’s something we do have to consider…You do have to space them. You don’t want to be making a ton of picks then you have players coming up all at the same time and it’s just a bit of a logjam. So you would like a little bit of space there. I think we do have that space right now, maybe be strategic if more come in, what years, maybe we’ll look at.”
source – “Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson weighing re-signing, trading Petr Mrazek, Jason Dickinson” – Scott Powers – The Athletic – 1/13/2024
Reaves could be a welcomed addition to the Blackhawks as they continue through their long rebuild. He has built himself a reputation as a positive addition to whichever team he joins off the ice as one of the league’s best personalities and could be a perfect fit with the Blackhawks.
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are another team that’s struggling in a big way this season and could use a player like Reaves to boost morale and keep their younger players engaged while they aren’t winning many games. A deal between the Maple Leafs and Sharks is likely a bit more simple, but would still require them to add on an extra asset so that the Sharks can take on his full contract.
A deal between the two looks like the Maple Leafs trading Reaves and their 2026 seventh-round pick to the Sharks in exchange for future considerations. It’s highly unlikely the Sharks would want to give up much for a player of Reaves’ skillset, but this move would rather be to acquire extra draft capital.
Anaheim Ducks
The final team that could look at acquiring Reaves is the Anaheim Ducks, who are yet another team this season who have proven they are in the middle of a long rebuilding process. Similar to the Sharks, the Ducks would only make this trade if they are interested in adding draft capital and the Maple Leafs add a draft pick on top of Reaves in any deal. The Ducks could benefit from a veteran player like him to stabilize their bottom-six forward group.
While Reaves being traded is by no means a guarantee nor have any of these teams been connected to him in any way, they all make sense. Adding a veteran player with a positive view from his teammates off the ice would be exactly what any rebuilding team needs. For the Maple Leafs, hopefully, they can get his contract off the books and give him a fresh start, all while clearing up some cap space to make some additions before the trade deadline.
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