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The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially made a shocking move involving Ryan Reaves just a day before the NHL trade deadline.
In breaking news, insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed that five players were placed on the NHL waiver wire, and three others were claimed.
Notably, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the decision to put Ryan Reaves on waivers.
Reaves joined Tyler Pitlick, Riley Stillman, Evan Cormier and Cameron Hebig on the list of players up for grabs.
In addition, three players changed teams: Jordan Oesterle left the Boston Bruins for the Nashville Predators, who also claimed Jakub Vrana from the Washington Capitals, while the Columbus Blue Jackets grabbed Christian Fischer from the Detroit Red Wings.
Let's not forget that any player on an NHL roster when the deadline passes will be ineligible to play in the AHL for the rest of the season and during the playoffs.
This means players who had to clear waivers before joining the AHL had to be sent down Thursday.
In the Leafs' case, they are likely planning to bring him back to the NHL for the playoffs. General manager Brad Treliving likely considered that his $1,350,000 AAV contract, which expires at the end of next season, would discourage teams from claiming him.
Reaves, 28, has played 35 games this season with the Maple Leafs, recording just two assists. He has averaged 7:48 of ice time per game and holds a -2 rating.
It will be interesting to see how the Toronto Maple Leafs use the extra cap space. If he clears waivers, the Leafs will free up $1.15 million, but if he is claimed, they will gain $1.35 million in cap relief.
In a recent report, Elliotte Friedman linked Brock Nelson, Brayden Schenn and Mikko Rantanen to the Leafs.
More must-reads:
- Failed major trade between Maple Leafs and Flyers leaks publicly
- Top NHL insider calls out Penguins for completing 'dumbest' trade in the last 25 years
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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Brady Tkachuk happy Maple Leafs and Senators were able to relive Battle of Ontario
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk felt that the Toronto Maple Leafs were the deepest they have been in years going into their playoff series this past spring. Tkachuk made an appearance on Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Tuesday, where he reflected on the intense battle between the forever rivals and what it was like being part of the Battle of Ontario. “There was a lot of talk going into it, and I think it was great for both cities to relive those memories,” he said. “ I think we’re living in a different age and era of hockey where there wasn’t gonna be fights. That’s not how their team was built, that’s not really how our team is built. It’s gonna be a really hard, competitive, battles every single shift, but there’s not gonna be no line brawls and going toe to toe.” The Leafs were able to put themselves in pole position by taking the first three games, with two of them requiring overtime goals from Max Domi and Simon Benoit. While the Senators were able to get two wins to extend the series, Toronto ultimately prevailed in Game 6 to advance to the second round for only the second time since 2004. While Tkachuk has pondered at times what could have been if Ottawa had been on the winning end of the overtimes, he felt his first playoff experience was a valuable learning lesson that will make him a better player. “ I think it was just pretty cool to see the first two games, the first two playoff experiences. Their building was super loud and the chants, the chirps, it was a pretty cool experience,” he said. “ Then getting back to our building and being a part of the loudest building that I’ve ever been in, it was so cool. It’s just spoke to the years of adversity that we faced and for everybody to get through that, not just our team but our city, I think it was pretty special to be a part of.” Tkachuk may be more focused on how his Senators have done in the offseason, he knows that the rest of the Atlantic has gotten better which makes it the toughest division in the NHL. That means making your mark in every divisional matchup and rising to the occasion. It also means Tkachuk will have to go toe to toe with Leafs captain and fellow EA Sports cover athlete, Auston Matthews, along the way. “I’ve known Auston since I think I was 14 or 15, and, he has always been so good. He is just so funny and such a great guy to be around,” he said. “It was pretty awesome for me to be able to learn from him as a captain and what makes him one of the best players in the NHL. I was just super impressed with how dialled in he was and so professional, and how even-keeled he was. It almost felt like nothing bothers him, and he is gonna go out there and lead by example with his work ethic. I think a lot of the things that he does goes under the radar, and now he is such an important piece for our [US] team, but I was just very lucky to be able to learn from him as well.” You can watch the full Tkachuk interview down below:
Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a cause for concern with Jordan Love in the preseason. The quarterback suffered a thumb injury during the Packers' 30-10 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday. Love went 1-of-5 passing for seven yards and took a sack for -3 yards in the defeat. Both of his drives ended in punts. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Love is set to have surgery on his thumb after seeing how it held up at practice on Monday. General manager Brian Gutekunst believes Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. "Gutekunst sounded adamant that Love will be ready for Week 1 against the Lions," Schneidman wrote. "Hit his left hand on a helmet on that half-scramble vs. Jets. Wanted to see how it felt at practice yesterday and decided to get it fixed to avoid future issues. Will be with team in Indianapolis. "Brian Gutekunst says Jordan Love is having a procedure done on his left thumb. It’s a 'ligament thing.' Hurt it in the preseason opener. Gutekunst hopes he returns to practice next week." The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Packers. Love and the majority of his receivers have not been in sync during training camp and in the preseason game. Like last season, Packers' receivers have dropped passes during practices and did so in the preseason opener against the Jets. Green Bay needs Love on the field, gaining chemistry with his pass-catching targets, including first-round pick Matthew Golden, before it plays the Lions.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Has Been In Communication With Exciting All-Pro Wide Receiver That Could Join Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very exciting team on paper heading into the 2025 NFL season as the organization has made plenty of changes throughout the offseason. It can be argued that both sides of the ball have been upgraded in some way, and the rookie class provides some excitement as well. One spot fans might want to see another move made is at wide receiver, as outside of DK Metcalf, there are some question marks in the room. Calvin Austin III took a strong step forward in 2024, but he has missed a large chunk of time during training camp this month due to injury, and Roman Wilson is still making strides. There are some interesting veterans that are still available in free agency, and some more names should hit the open market at the end of August when teams cut down to their 53-man rosters. However, one of the interesting names on the market currently is former superstar wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham was a standout during his time with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, and he won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. He recently joined Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast, and he shared that he has had conversations with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. "Love him, love him," Beckham said of Rodgers. "We've had conversations. I won't say that, that it's not a possibility [joining the Steelers], and I won't say that I haven't had any communication. I f*cking love [Mike] Tomlin. I was actually supposed to be drafted to the Steelers. That was the meeting that I had where I was like, 'I think I'm going to the Steelers.' Giants ended up taking me at 12, Steelers had I think the 16th pick maybe. I think they took Ryan Shazier." Beckham revealed that he has had some conversations with the Pittsburgh quarterback, which could mean the two sides are interested in joining forces with the Steelers. The veteran wide receiver didn't sound too optimistic that anything would happen, but he did not shut down the idea of wearing black and gold during the 2025 season. Beckham has been trying to find his footing in the league ever since he tore his ACL during Super Bowl LVI. The injury caused him to miss the entire 2022 season, and he has since played for the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins. In the past two seasons, the receiver has caught just 44 passes for 620 yards and three touchdowns. There is no doubting that Beckham has lost a step, but he would certainly be an interesting addition for the Steelers. Some argue that Pittsburgh's wide receiver room is full of too many wide receiver threes and fours, rather than having a solid second option at the position. At this point in his career, Beckham would likely just add to that problem, rather than being a solution. Steelers Were Interested In Beckham During 2014 NFL Draft Beckham also stated during his interview with Maher that the Steelers were very interested in him during the 2014 NFL Draft. He was selected by the Giants with the 12th overall pick, and Pittsburgh selected at 15. The Steelers grabbed Ryan Shazier, but Beckham seemed fairly confident that if he had still been on the board, he would have gone to the Steelers with the 15th pick. This is a bit hard to believe, as the Steelers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since the 2006 NFL Draft when the organization selected Santonio Holmes. The wide receiver room was looking a little thin heading into the 2014 season, but the Steelers were able to make it work after picking Martavis Bryant in the fourth round of the same draft.
Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen
It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.
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