Maple Leafs call up Ryan Reaves from AHL’s Toronto Marlies

Reaves was originally assigned to the AHL after the trade deadline to free up the cap space needed to fit in new arrivals Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton. He ended up playing in three games with the Marlies down the stretch, where he picked up a goal for his efforts.

With the Leafs wrapping up their regular season schedule on Thursday with an overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings, salary cap limitations are now lifted, which means that teams can include as many players on their reserve list as they want. This cleared the path for Reaves to make his return to the NHL, where he participated in an optional skate alongside Jani Hakanpaa, Max Pacioretty, Jake McCabe, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson among others.

While some may be puzzled that Reaves is back in the fold, it really should not come as a surprise given how integral he has been to the makeup of the Leafs’ locker room.

“We’ve had him in for two days and it’s been great because he brings a certain professionalism and energy,” Marlies coach John Gruden said on how Reaves handled the demotion. “It helps with those younger guys too. He’s been really good.”

The 2024-25 season has been a trying time for the 38-year-old enforcer, who saw his role diminish as time went on. Reaves got some reps during the early portion of the regular season as Leafs head coach Craig Berube was figuring out the lines, where he struggled to control the pace of play in his minutes. He would only appear in 10 games after the calendar flipped to 2025 and only once after the 4 Nations Face-Off break ended.

Some questions emerged about his role on the team after he went over half the season without a fight until his bout with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier on January 22. Reaves even got handed a five-game suspension in November as a result of an illegal check to the head of Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse.

It remains to be seen if Reaves will get back into the lineup during the playoffs, but he will at the very least be around the team to keep things light and staying ready in case the Leafs run into injuries. The campaign that proceeded it has not been kind to the veteran but there is still a chance for his story to have a happy ending.

In all, Reaves appeared in 35 games for the Leafs where he amassed two assists and 28 penalty minutes. He is on the second season of a three-year contract that carries an AAV of $1.35 million.