2. Cons to trading Reaves
Toughness isn’t as prevalent in the NHL as it once was, although it still plays a major role as was proved by the St. Louis Blues during their run to the Stanley Cup Championship last year.
You need some grit and jam in your lineup and Ryan Reaves brings both to the table in abundance, while he’s among the best in the business when it comes to dropping the gloves.
Not many players take liberties with the Golden Knights’ biggest stars because, if they do, they know they will have Reaves after them and that can’t be underestimated.
And the 33-year-old is an absolute hitting machine, amassing 305 last year while he has already racked up 249 hits this season.
Reaves just plays with that snarl and edge that is a bit of a dying breed in the modern-day NHL, which is based on speed, skill and a lot of young talent.
But to only class Reaves as a throwback enforcer who runs around hitting players would be unfair, especially if you look at his body of work in Vegas.
He carved out career-highs in goals (nine), assists (11) and points (20) last year, while he has 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 59 games this year.
While not massive numbers, that is still pretty impressive production for a fourth-line enforcer who has a specific role.
Not only that but Reaves is also a huge presence in the locker room and he’s a real leader on this team, as well as a bright personality which is important in a sport that gets consistently overlooked by the national media.
However, and in conclusion, paying $2,775,000 for a bottom-line grinder who logs an average of 9:49 minutes of total ice time per game when there are real clear and glaring needs on this roster, is probably a luxury that the Golden Knights can not afford.
Trading Ryan Reaves would be difficult given the role he plays for this team but, given the aspirations to win a Stanley Cup, both a puck-moving defenseman and secondary scoring are more valuable commodities than a bottom-line bruiser that can fight and chip in with the occasional point.
Therefore, if the Vegas Golden Knights were to get a pick or a low-end prospect for Ryan Reaves, it is a trade they would probably pull the trigger on in order to acquire the pieces they crave to bolster this roster down the stretch.