Toronto: Michael Pezzetta grows in stature now that Ryan Reaves is gone

Dose
Crédit:

In recent days, the Maple Leafs have offered Michael Pezzetta a two-year contract. Pezzetta joins Ryan Reaves among the players who can compete in Toronto.

Despite past altercations between the Habs and the Maple Leafs, Pezzetta was going to play with Reaves.

But now the San Jose Sharks have changed all that, picking up Reaves from Toronto. And since the veteran earns just over $1 million and isn’t a big addition to the salary cap, we’re not sure why the San Jose club did it.

By necessity, because Reaves was no longer the tough guy he once was, the addition of Pezzetta meant that the Maple Leafs didn’t necessarily need the big forward anymore.

We’d been feeling for a while that Reaves was more in the legs than anything else.

Since the Maple Leafs certainly didn’t want to have two forwards like that (who don’t rack up points at an insane rate, let’s say), trading Reaves made sense.

And it did.

Will the Maple Leafs be happy to rely solely on Pezzetta, who definitely can’t play all 82 games in a season for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations? We’ll see.

Because while there are other tough players out there, guys in the Pezz mold aren’t a dime a dozen in the NHL.

I also wonder, by the way, what the good Arber Xhekaj thinks of the Maple Leafs deal. After all, Reaves has had his moments with the Habs in recent years….

I imagine the question will be put to him when he talks to the media on the heels of the season opener.

overtime

– The Hurricanes really wanted Mitch Marner.

– Can Kaiden Guhle reach the next level? [TSN 690]

– Gavin McKenna bids farewell to the WHL.

– Who do you think will win?