Vegas Golden Knights: He’s back, back again, Reaves here to stay

Ryan Reaves and the Vegas Golden Knights will continue to be a match made in heaven.

Announced by General Manager Kelly McCrimmon, the Vegas Golden Knights have signed Reaves to a two-year contract extension with an Average Annual Value of $1.75 million.

The new deal is worth a grand total of $3.5 million.

Reaves was set to become an Unrestricted Free Agent this off-season, but has now decided to remain in Sin City where he has morphed into somewhat of a cult hero among Golden Knights fans.

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Acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 26, 2018, the human wrecking ball has established himself as a key cog on this Vegas roster.

Following his arrival during the Knights’ inaugural season, Reaves made an immediate impact and potted the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Winnipeg Jets as the Golden Knights advanced to the 2017-18 Stanley Cup Finals.

Having signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract that off-season, Reaves repaid the faith put in him by the front office by carving out a career-year.

Through 80 regular season games, the 33-year-old recorded career-highs in goals (9), assists (11), points (20), power play goals (3) and Average Time On Ice (10:52).

His ice time has increased greatly in Vegas too, increasing from 8:53 in his last year with the St. Louis Blues and just 6:45 with the Pittsburgh Penguins to an average of 10:27 in three seasons for the Golden Knights.

Reaves also racked up a staggering 305 hits in 2018-19, while he led the entire NHL in that category this year with 316 prior to the NHL going on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to continuing to being an absolute punisher on the ice, Reaves also added an offensive punch yet again in 2019-20 with eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 71 regular season contests.

Furthermore, Reaves has really propelled his Points Per Game from 0.12 in seven years with the St. Louis Blues and the Pittsburgh Penguins to 0.22 in three seasons with the Golden Knights.

That is quite an improvement in the offensive zone.

Combining his intimidating physical play with an ability to come up clutch, Reaves has really revitalized his career in Vegas and found a home that is a perfect match for how he plays the game.

Golden Knights fans, as well as the front office and the coaching staff, love Reaves and the enforcer is also a vital glue guy in the locker room.

His ability to hit like an absolute train will take on even more importance during the postseason, and Reaves will be relied on to bring the pain throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This is a good deal for both player and organization with Reaves now likely to retire in a city where he has really flourished, while the Golden Knights keep a vital player on and off the ice for a reduced cap hit.

And the terms of the deal are important to note.

Taking a discount from the $2,775,000 cap hit he commanded in 2018-19 and 2019-20, Reaves will still be well paid for a fourth-liner in the NHL.

For the Golden Knights, they have kept hold of a mainstay of their lineup while retaining some flexibility for 2020-21.

It is expected that the salary cap for the 2020-21 season will be frozen at $81.5 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which will leave Vegas with just under $7 million in cap space to play with during the off-season.

With six pending free agents to deal with, including elite goalie Robin Lehner and forward Chandler Stephenson, every dollar will count for Vegas this summer when it comes to filling out the rest of their roster.

That’s why signing Reaves to a more team-friendly contract was always going to be crucial for the Golden Knights.

They have now ticked that box and, as a result, will have the flexibility to retain more of their pending free agents while locking down Ryan Reaves who has truly found a perfect fit with the Vegas Golden Knights.