We’ve reached the time of year where the high of the offseason has worn off, and fans are killing time by tossing around mock lineups on social media. One name that you won’t find on any of these mock lineups is Ryan Reaves. But, as of right now, he’s still under contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and he wants to hit a milestone before he calls it quits.
Reaves recently joined the Cam and Strick Podcast, hosted by former NHL enforcer Cam Janssen and St. Louis Blues reporter Andy Strickland, where he spoke of his desire to push for another few kicks at the can in the NHL.
“I still want to play,” Reaves said. “I’m 83 games from 1000 right now, so I would love to be able to hold on for another two years and hit that, then ride into the sunset. I don’t think I can make it past two more years, but I would love to get that.”
The 38-year-old fighter was signed to a three-year contract by the Maple Leafs prior to the 2023-24 season, but saw his ice time dip heavily in 2024-25. He played only 35 games in 2024-25, tallying two assists, and even saw himself in the American Hockey League (AHL) for a stint. Still, he’s not letting that get in the way of his desire to hit that 1000-game milestone, and, of course, every player’s ultimate goal.
“The dream is always the Stanley Cup,” Reaves continued. “When I first came into the league, I remember looking at my wife like ‘wouldn’t it be cool if I hit 100 games?’ and then all of a sudden I hit 100, and then I was like ‘imagine I hit 200?’ and then all of a sudden I was at 500, and then, it’s like ‘woah, maybe I can chase 1000′. For a player who plays like me, I think it would be a cool accomplishment. So, Stanley Cup, 1000 games, in that order. I would love the opportunity to try and get that.”
Unfortunately, the only way Reaves will likely have the opportunity to chase this is if the Leafs move him to another team unless he’s okay with being an AHL veteran who hops on the NHL roster as a warm body when the playoffs begin and the salary cap is no longer relevant. And even then, that wouldn’t cover the games-played goal. They already didn’t have a spot for him for the better part of last season, but now having signed forward Michael Pezzetta, they have somebody to fill the enforcer role should that be necessary. He’s younger, cheaper, faster, and better defensively than Reaves, so it seems like the writing is on the wall for his time in Toronto.
That said, Reaves’ presence in the dressing room is objectively the best you can ask for based on his reputation around the league, so maybe there’s a place for him on another team to try and chase these goals. His cap hit for this season might be tough to sell for some teams, but for a rebuilding team that has the cap space and a young group of players looking to take that next step, it might be an easier pitch. Either way, it would be great to see Reaves hit both of these milestones before he hangs them up. It just might not be in Toronto.
You can watch the full interview with Reaves here.
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