Last season, Ryan Reaves proved to be the perfect combination of muscle and skill. Always willing to drop his gloves, Reaves demonstrated that he could produce offensively with six goals and six assists in 81 games. His 12 points were a career high and his shifts often featured some big checks while disrupting the opposition in their own zone. All of these traits placed Reaves in the discussion for best all-around enforcer in the league.
Skipping ahead to the current season, Reaves has taken a big step back. He has looked slow and a bit behind the play all season long. Through 14 games, he has zero points. This also goes back to his positioning and the fact he has been chasing and following the play rather than dictating the play. It’s been a long time since fans have seen Reaves head into the offensive zone and wreck havoc with crunching checks which force the puck loose.
As a result, Reaves has been spending some time as a healthy scratch.
What’s causing Reaves’ slump?
He suffered a knee injury in training camp and it’s possible there are lingering complications holding him back. There haven’t been any official confirmations that Reaves is still dealing with his knee, but the visual test indicates something is causing him to look like he’s always behind the play.
With Scott Gomez and Magnus Paajarvi playing well and a couple of injured Blues mending up on the horizon, Reaves is going to have to fight for playing time.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
