Ex-NHL enforcer Avery rips Ryan Reaves for not protecting Leafs teammates

While just about everyone can agree that newly signed Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves is not having a good start to the season, some have been especially critical of his performance.

Among them is none other than former NHL enforcer Sean Avery, who currently hosts the No Gruffs Given podcast. On the most recent episode, the 43-year-old ripped into the Leafs’ tough guy who has yet to produce a single point this season.

“The problem with Ryan Reaves is I’m not sure he’s a protector. He’s minus eight. We know how bad he is,” Avery said before questioning Reaves’ willingness to stand up for his teammates. “He can’t skate, shoot, pass in the modern-day NHL.”

Avery, who was famous for getting under his opponents’ skin, pointed to a recent example of Reaves not stepping in when Toronto defenceman Timothy Liljegren took a bad hit from Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand that resulted in an injury.

“Brad Marchand can open Liljegren, one of your better defencemen… where was Ryan Reaves?” Avery asked.

“You need to find a way to make Brad Marchand still be afraid of you,” he added.

@imseanavery Sean Avery roasts Ryan Reaves for not protecting his teammates #nhl #mapleleafs #hockey #bruins #liljegren ♬ original sound – Sean Avery

Avery’s assessment of the Liljegren incident is not an exaggeration either.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe was visibly disappointed with his team’s lack of a reaction to the hit, sharing his frustration with reporters the morning after the 3-2 loss at TD Garden.

“I hated everything about it,” Keefe said bluntly. “We addressed it.”

As for Reaves, who signed a three-year, $4.05 million deal with Toronto this offseason, he promises there will be a “change.”

“We talked about it, it was addressed in the room,” Reaves said. “It’ll change going forward.”

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