Maple Leafs place F Reaves on waivers, clearing cap space ahead of deadline
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The Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Ryan Reaves on waivers Thursday.
Reaves has appeared in 35 games with the Maple Leafs this season, recording two assists and 28 penalty minutes. He had four goals and six points in 49 games last season, adding one assist while dressing in five of the team's seven playoff games.
The 38-year-old winger is in the second season of a three-year, $4.05 million contract with a cap hit of $1.35 million. If Reaves goes unclaimed on waivers, which TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports is expected, the Maple Leafs will free up $1.15 million upon assigning him to the AHL.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported Wednesday the Maple Leafs remain active in trade talks, with the team on the hunt for centre help.
"Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs are as eager as ever to acquire that number two centre or worst case, the number three centre," Dreger explained on Insider Trading. "But I don't think that the targets have changed a whole lot despite the reality of where the St. Louis Blues are and that's right near the playoff line in the Western Conference. Treliving is going to continue to push Doug Armstrong and end until he says, ‘we're not trading the captain.’ And then you've got, of course, Brock Nelson, you've got Scott Laughton and you have some other options, but for me it's that 1-2 scenario between Schenn and Brock Nelson.
"Would Toronto consider trading all three of their young prospects? You're talking about Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten and Ben Danford for Brayden Schenn. Is that even enough? And the belief out there is as long as Armstrong is willing to listen that means that he's absolutely fishing and shopping for an unbelievable return, and if it's not Toronto, is it a team that is willing to also give roster players, right? Because the players that I've mentioned out of Toronto aren't ready to be NHL roster players, so still looking at Schenn and then Brock Nelson for Toronto."
Reaves is a veteran of 912 career NHL games, posting 63 goals and 137 points over his time with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Maple Leafs.
Boston's Tyler Pitlick, Carolina's Riley Stillman, Florida's Evan Cormier and Utah's Cameron Hebig were also placed on waivers Thursday.
Pitlick, Cormier and Hebig all signed one-year, two-way contracts for the remainder of the 2024-25 season with their respective clubs on Thursday.
Stillman, 26, has appeared in two games with the Hurricanes this season with zero points. In 20 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves, he has two goals and five points.
Predators claim Vrana
The Nashville Predators have claimed forward Jakub Vrana off waivers from the Washington Capitals, reports TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston.
Johnston reports the Preds have also claimed defenceman Jordan Oesterle from the Boston Bruins and the Columbus Blue Jackets have selected forward Christian Fischer.