Maple Leafs' Unexpected Trade Sparks Mixed Reactions

Reaves, however, is coming off a disappointing season in Toronto in which he only had two points (both assists) in 35 games, and in which he ultimately was demoted to the Leafs' affiliate in the AHL in March.

The move followed a string of comments by Reaves defending Mitch Marner after his trade to Vegas.

At the start of this week, Reaves called out the Maple Leafs fan base for their harsh treatment of Mitch Marner, adding that the pressure likely contributed to the star’s exit from Toronto.

Though the Leafs never addressed the link between those comments and Thursday's trade, the timing is hard to ignore. A few fans noticed that, while others shared different reactions to the news on X.

"Makes sense that Marner’s babysitter left as well," one user wrote, linking the recent developments.

"Right after his negative comments about management re Marner," another person said.

"Reaves is being brought on to be bodyguard for Celebrini and Smith for sure," one fan posted.

"Ryan Reaves will win a cup with the Sharks before the Leafs do," a person opined.

"Wow, actually got a young defenseman for Ryan Reaves. That’s crazy," one account posted.

"Reaves just wants to reach 1000 games. He will in SJ. This was kindness by the Leafs," another user said.

"That’s actually a fantastic return for a 38-year-old who’s finished," a person wrote.

"Lost a heck of a cheerleader," one user joked.

"This might be the best trade this year," someone chimed in.

"Given Ryan Reaves' pursuit of 1,000 games, the Sharks might just be handing him a participation trophy in disguise," another person said about Reaves' milestone chase.