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Ryan Reaves’ NHL Career a Concern Due to Lack of Fights
Is Ryan Reaves in a place where he has to worry about his NHL career prospects if no one is willing to fight him?
Ryan Reaves, one of the NHL’s most well-known tough guys, hasn’t dropped the gloves this season. While fighting it down across the board in the NHL, there have been 156 of them. That Reaves is not among the 156 is surprising. Speaking with Sportsnet, Reaves admitted not having logged one has been frustrating.
“Yeah, it’s the longest I’ve gone without one. I would like one, for sure,” Reaves shared. “It’s part of why I’m here. To not have one this late in the season is new for me.”
Last year, Reaves wasted no time getting into fights, logging seven bouts. This season, however, opponents have been reluctant. Even when Reaves sought out Philadelphia’s Garnet Hathaway last week for a rematch after a hit on teammate Jake McCabe, Hathaway declined the challenge.
“I asked him on the draw, but he said, ‘No.’ He was awfully quiet the rest of the game,” Reaves said. “I might be a little out of his weight class, to be honest.”
Can Reaves Not Find a Taker?
As Luke Fox points out in his recent article, the NHL’s evolution toward speed and skill has made enforcers like Reaves increasingly rare. There aren’t many heavyweights left in the league. As such, the lack of opponents means a lack of playing time. He has been a scratch for 17 games this season, and Reaves said, It’s not fun coming in and out, but I try to bring energy when I can.”
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube isn’t surprised by the lack of takers, but he also believes the forward has value beyond fighting. “He’s physical every game and brings great energy to the locker room,” Berube said.
The question becomes, how useful is Reaves if no one wants to fight him? He’s not quick enough to change a game with his speed. He’s not skilled enough to become something other than an enforcer. He’s not defensively sound enough to become a depth two-way player.
Still, Reaves is optimistic about opportunities this week, with physical teams like the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens on the schedule. “There’s not as many (willing fighters) around, but we have a couple coming up. Hopefully, I get one,” Reaves said. Maybe all it will take is one to demonstrate he’s still got some value in the league.
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