Ryan Reaves revealed Friday that a broken relationship with the Toronto Maple Leafs led him to seek a trade elsewhere. The veteran forward was dealt to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
“I think there was just a lack of trust very early in the season,” Reaves said. “It just looked like (if) I had one bad game, I was out of the lineup for four, five, six, seven, eight, nine games. I’d come back in, have a good game, but taken right back out. I just really could never gain any momentum with my game, couldn’t really gain any traction.”
The Leafs traded the veteran enforcer in exchange for defenseman Henry Thrun on Thursday.
Reaves signed a three-year deal worth $1.35 million annually with Toronto in 2023. General manager Brad Treliving brought in the 6-foot-2, 225-pound winger to add a physical presence. But Toronto waived and sent the 38-year-old to the AHL in March to clear cap space.
“I told (Treliving) at the end of the year, I just thought that this wasn’t, obviously, a good fit,” Reaves said. “I’m assuming he probably thought the same after putting me on waivers and sending me to the minors, and just thought it was kind of time to part ways.”
Reaves scored all four of his goals with the Leafs during his first season.
A knee injury sidelined him for a stretch in 2023 before the team began making him a frequent healthy scratch. Reaves said he eventually felt targeted by Toronto’s fan base.
“I started the season two years ago very well, and then things just started going really wrong for me, and all of a sudden this whole city wanted me out of there,” Reaves said.
Despite the difficult departure, Reaves called the Leafs a “first-class organization” and praised how the club treats its players.
