Ryan Reaves sounds off on his early-season struggles
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a surprising move by signing rugged forward Ryan Reaves to a three-year contract worth $4.05 million, orchestrated by new general manager Brad Treliving.
Reaves, primarily known for his physical play rather than scoring, has raised questions given his age of 37.
Despite playing 44 games this season, including a stint on Injured Reserve in December, Reaves revealed he was healthy during his absence from the lineup. He expressed readiness to play when called upon but respected the team's decision.
Admitting to struggling with confidence early in his time with the Leafs, Reaves treated his time off as a sort of training camp, focusing on improving various aspects of his game and regaining confidence.
"Just trying to get confidence back."
"Confidence is a real thing," Reaves said. "First time I've probably gone through something like that in my career where I just felt like nothing was going right. I just felt like I had no confidence. Used that opportunity to try and build it back."
Regarding potential playoff appearances, Reaves deferred to team management, emphasizing his role in playing physical, defending, and creating scoring opportunities, leaving lineup decisions to those above him.
"That's above my pay grade."
Do you think Ryan Reaves will be in the game 1 lineup of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
As seen on thehockeynews'I Just Felt Like I Had No Confidence': How Ryan Reaves Turned His First Season With the Maple Leafs Around
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5 AVRIL | 85 ANSWERS Ryan Reaves sounds off on his early-season struggles Do you think Ryan Reaves will be in the game 1 lineup of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 44 | 51.8 % |
| No | 41 | 48.2 % |
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