09 Nov 2023 04:01:53
Beyond a shadow of a doubt Ryan Reaves needs to be waived and replaced.
Waiving Reaves would save the Leafs $1.15 against the cap.
Would it be reasonable for the Leafs to consider signing Kessel for $800,000 and putting him on the 3rd line;
Robertson - Domi - Kessel (not much defense)
Then moving Jarnkrok to the 4th line:
Gregor - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Signing Kane to play 3rd line RW:
Robertson - Domi - Kane would be a nice dream but we're are pretty sure that Kane is not signing for the $1.15 made available by waving Reaves.
More than likely Kane would not be interested in being a 3rd line player either.
09 Nov 2023 11:11:56
Totally agree on Reaves but Kessel won’t help a team already scored plenty…. they give up even more. Not nearly enough evidence to make us believe Woll is a number one. Get a goalie asap. This may get worse before better and the so called playoff performers like Domi, may not even make the playoffs.
09 Nov 2023 11:52:45
Kessel WB? Really? Our soft mostly offensive team and you want to add Kessel to that? He is Klingberg on F.
09 Nov 2023 13:35:04
Reaves is not as big an issue as people are saying. It is his deployment by Keefe at times which hurts the team. Stop putting the 4th line out for defensive draws. Stop trying to use them as a shutdown line. Give him a couple of offensive zone shifts with the big boys a game and tell him to go to the net. Rotate others (Bert, Knies, Jarnkrok) into the 4th line for some shifts. Give Reaves his 4-8 mins a night, but not always on the 4th line.
Send Klingberg down and tell him to go work on his game without all the distractions. Take the $1.1M in cap savings and play Lajoie until McCabe is ready.
09 Nov 2023 19:56:18
RLF Surely you aren’t suggesting that Reaves get opportunities with the top two lines. He can’t skate! Come on man! And yes he is that much of an issue. They have not been used as a shutdown line at all . Against the other fourth line. Got caught a few times when the opponent did quick line change. He’s a useless goon and a huge liability as the stats show. Good in the dressing room only matters if you’re decent on the ice…. and he’s not even close to decent.
09 Nov 2023 20:31:50
@Bob.
Yes, I am suggesting that for a couple of shifts with the big boys, like 2 or 3 depending on the tone of the game and on offensive zone draws only. Gets him more involved, keeps cheap shots down and the stars would get a boost if he actually scored or as sited on a goal.
Also can then put someone else on the 4th line for a shift or two. And yes, Keefe has tried to use the 4th line to shut other teams down. Especially earlier in the season. He is now trying to protect them, but for the first 8-9 games he had them out on purpose for D-zone draws and right after the Leafs scored. Keefe still does the latter sometimes.
Which stats Bob? +/ -, goals, assists, corsi, WAR? what are you referring to?
If he wasn't being used as a defensive line at all, how come his O-zone starts are only 53.8% 5 on 5. Most of that because of the last 5 games it has gone up. Maybe if the oisv% when he is on the ice wasn't a dismal 83%, and more his career avg of 92.6% his +/ - wouldn't be as bad.
That translates that Leaf goalies are letting in 1 in 10 shots more than throughout his career. On top of that, the team has not scored 1 goal while he has been on the ice. oish% is 0. Is he now responsible for the other 4 on the ice not scoring even 1 goal in 13 games? For his career, teams have had a respectable 6.7% oish%. Last season he was on the ice for 20 for and 20 against even strength even though his zone starts were 65% in the D zone.
Which stats are you referring to bob?
10 Nov 2023 02:02:22
Of the 333 forwards to have played 70+ 5v5 minutes so far, Ryan Reaves ranks 330th in on-ice GA/ 60 and 324th in on-ice xGF%.
He can’t play with top players because he can’t skate, and the last thing you want is him trying to handle the puck. So if you put him in for offensive zone faceoffs and they lose the draw the puck will get into the leafs end before he gets back to centre.
So move marner or Nylander to give him a chance on top lines? Hard pass.
Supposedly he’s there to “protect” his teammates. He’s not even doing that!
10 Nov 2023 02:18:22
Bob. As I said. He is not taking a shift from Marner or Nylander. He takes a shift from Knies or Bertuzzi. Unless you consider Knies and Bertuzzi as the big boys already.
And where do the rest of the 4th line rank? Of course he is near the bottom on on ice GA/ 60 and on ice expected goals for. As I said, no one is scoring when he is on the ice and our goalies sv% is brutal as well. Context to the stats. I guess it's why I don't put much stock into the two you just showed.
10 Nov 2023 02:47:31
Really?
It is Keefe’s deployment of Reaves that is the problem?
Is that a joke.
Let’s not be ridiculous!
Reaves is no longer a capable NHL player no matter how, when or where he is deployed!
10 Nov 2023 12:06:07
So Reaves can’t play on his own wing., . you gonna ask him to play the other side? You’re gonna take minutes from Knies and Bertuzzi to play Reaves more? other than fighting, Bertuzzi and Knies can literally do everything better than Reaves. He is a terrible hockey player and a ridiculous signing. I can’t continue this conversation.
10 Nov 2023 14:13:24
@Bob.
Actually read what I said. I never said give Reaves more minutes. I said give him 4-8 mins a night but use them differently. I also said give Knies, Bert or say Jarnkrok a 4th line shift instead of Reaves when Reaves takes his 2 or 3 shifts higher up, so there is no minutes taken away from them and none added to Reaves. This strengthens our 4th line for a few shifts as well. Don't know why I have to keep explaining this.
You can't continue the conversation because you seem to have trouble with comprehension.
10 Nov 2023 19:51:14
Ok let’s keep going. Reaves makes the top two lines worse …. literally does nothing to help them . Isn’t capable of helping them. You want the 4th line to be better? Send Reaves to the minors, buy him out, or trade for a 7th round pick.
10 Nov 2023 19:54:51
Don’t know why I have to keep explaining this…. Ryan Reaves is NOT an NHL player.