Toronto has been fuming over the way the Florida Panthers play—with several controversial incidents already occurring in Game 1. Many fans have been calling for Ryan Reaves to return to the lineup for one specific reason. But now, a former Toronto Maple Leaf is sharing his thoughts on whether Reaves deserves a spot—and he doesn’t mince words.
Everyone expected the second-round matchup between Toronto and Florida to be intense and full of drama. But in Game 1, Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz had to leave the game after an incident with Sam Bennett. Many Leafs fans believe Bennett intentionally elbowed the goalie in the head. Then, after the final whistle, Matthew Tkachuk took a run at Mitch Marner along the boards, seemingly trying to knee him.
The Florida Panthers have earned a reputation for playing rough, often dirty hockey. And plenty of Toronto fans have been calling for a tough guy in the lineup to at least bring some intimidation.
Fans want Ryan Reaves back
Reaves, however, hasn’t played an NHL game since March 2—and now, a former Maple Leaf has slammed the idea of bringing him back.
“No, no, not in a million years. He’s rusty as hell,” Jay Rosehill said in a video clip posted by The Leafs Nation. “He hasn’t played in a long time. He’s not really fast enough. He’s going to be a big distraction. He’s going to try to run around and bury someone, maybe take a penalty, and you’re not going to be able to put your fourth line out there.”
Although Reaves is known as a solid fighter, Rosehill doesn’t believe there will be any fighting in the series.
“He’s just not going to be a factor in this series. The writing is already on the wall; he’s not going to go out there and scare anybody,” he said.
“There hasn’t been a single fight in the playoffs this whole season… Who’s he going to fight? What are you even talking about? No, he’s not going to be a factor. That’s already been decided by the way they used him down the stretch.”
READ MORE: Insider shares bold take on controversial Anthony Stolarz incident
