"He's a liability": Leafs fans flame Ryan Reaves for comment on his 17-game healthy scratch streak on Toronto's roster

Toronto Maple Leafs fans expressed their frustration with forward Ryan Reaves after he shed light on his 17-game healthy scratch streak with the team. Despite being ready to hit the ice, Reaves finds himself watching from the sidelines.

In an interview with Sportsnet's Luke Fox, Reaves, known for his physical play and locker-room presence, acknowledged the challenge of being a healthy scratch.

"Either stay patient to get in the lineup — or stay patient for whatever else is going to come," said Reaves.

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe talked about the difficulty in finding the right time to reintegrate Ryan Reaves into the lineup, citing the forward's work through an injury and the team's focus on evaluating young talents.

On social media, fans­ suggested his level of play was why he was not in the lineup for the Maple Leafs­.

Ryan Reaves' struggles with the Toronto Maple Leafs

In the offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a controversial move by signing the NHL enforcer to a three-year, $4.05 million contract. The decision was driven by the team's desire to bolster their physicality for playoff contention. Notably, Reaves, known for witnessing his Vegas Golden Knights lose the 2018 Stanley Cup Final from the press box, was expected to bring a gritty edge to the Leafs.

Reave­s has been benche­d for a chunk of this season, due to a lower-body injury on Dec. 14. During his 21 games with the­ Leafs, the 37-year-old winger nette­d just a single goal which came against the­ Blackhawks in November. His effe­ct on the ice hasn't bee­n great; he's got a -11 rating. Even worse­, the team's five-on-five­ play has suffered when he's been in the lineup.

Moreover, only 43 pe­rcent of shot attempts have been succe­ssful, while expected goals sit at 36.9 perce­nt. Scoring chances are 38.3 perce­nt, and high-danger opportunities are as low as 31.6 percent. In those minutes, they've been beaten 13-2.­ With an average ice time of just 7:20 per game, Reaves hasn't seen such limited play since his 2017-18 stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins.