Pros for trading for Ryan Reaves
First, let’s start with the obvious. Ryan Reaves is one tough human being. He’s like a human battering ram and tank rolled into one.
Boasting a hulking frame of 6’1″ and weighing in at 225 lbs, Reaves hits like an absolute train and he’s hardly a stranger to dropping the gloves.
And, not only does he love a tilt but he thrives pummelling his opponents in order to give his team an edge, regularly throwing bombs with unparalleled success against other heavyweights.
The Rangers have had their fair share of tough guys in recent years, most recently Cody McLeod, but Reaves is arguably the toughest and hardest role player in the NHL today.
He’s also not a one-trick pony. Yes, he would slot in on the fourth-line and be matched up against other teams’ top lines in order to disrupt their rhythm and generally just be a nuisance.
However, Reaves can produce offensively too and at an impressive clip for a bottom-six forward who plays restricted minutes.
Look at his body of work for the Golden Knights in 2018-19. He achieved career-highs in goals (9), assists (11) and points (20).
He also had two game-winning goals as he was often trusted to play in key situations for Vegas when the game was up for grabs.
That kind of production from a fourth-liner of Reaves’ caliber would be a welcome boost to any team who craves and needs secondary scoring.
Another factor to consider is Reaves’ bubbly personality. He’s larger than life and he has a presence that would make a big impact in the locker room and help to create and manufacture chemistry.
He’s also a veteran of 578 regular season games in the NHL, in addition to 53 playoff contests, and would add invaluable experience to a team that was among one of the youngest in the majors in 2018-19 and could well carry a more youthful look next season.
Reaves wouldn’t cost the earth either. He currently carries an average annual cap hit of $2,775,000 through 2020, when he will become an unrestricted free agent.
There is a caveat to that point but we will get to that later. All in all, Reaves would bring a bucketload of grit, tenacity and snarl to the Rangers while also being capable of providing much-needed secondary scoring and leadership.