NHL News: Former Auston Matthews teammate fires vivid shot at Maple Leafs ahead of reunion

As the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks gear up for battle in the NHL, a former teammate of Auston Matthews in The Six has issued a stern reminder to the organization. Now, the matchup between the cross-conference teams may carry a bit of bad blood.

After his latest statement, it’s safe to say Ryan Reaves may not save the fondest of feelings for Matthews’ Maple Leafs. His time with Toronto wasn’t the best, either. As Reaves’ Sharks visit the Leafs, Reaves had some words for the organization that traded him out of town during the summer.

“They basically said that I couldn’t play in this league anymore. And I’m back,” Reaves admitted to reporters, via Chris Johnston on X. Still the veteran forward stated he holds no grudges against the Leafs. That remains to be seen. Perhaps, fans around the NHL can see that for themselves when the Sharks and Leafs face off.

Reaves’ time with Toronto

Reaves signed with the Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in July 2023. When signing with the Buds, the veteran enforcer joined the 6th team in his NHL career—St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks (7th, after Toronto). The Buds handed Reaves a three-year, $4.05 million contract.

Ryan Reaves playing for the San Jose Sharks

From the get-go, many fans expressed skepticism about signing a 36-year-old bottom-six player to such a contract. In the end, it didn’t work out for Reaves in Hogtown. Appearing in 84 games across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, the Winnipegger only recorded 8 points (4 G, 4 A), while being assessed 77 penalty minutes.

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Fresh start

Due to the poor performances in Toronto, the Buds traded the 38-year-old forward to the Sharks, who almost everybody expected to be a bottom feeder in the NHL. However, thanks to Macklin Celebrini’s superb season—along with an exciting young core—San Jose is holding its ground against true contenders around the league.

Reaves is mostly deployed on the fourth-line, bringing the energy and veteran leadership to a squad with an average age of 27.7. However, that number is inflated by Reaves—the only player born before 1990 on the team.