Okay, folks, here we go: Maple Leafs’ own tough guy, Ryan Reaves, has been lounging on the injured reserve with a wonky knee for over a month. Get this—he’s been secretly battle-ready for the past couple weeks, according to his chitchat with Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. Reaves, at the ripe old hockey age of thirty-seven, isn’t too thrilled about being sidelined, especially since he’s inked a pretty three-year deal worth a cool $4.05 million back in those carefree days of July. Now, with his ice time colder than a Toronto winter, he’s tossing out phrases like “stay patient.” But let’s be real—patience is probably not his middle name, if you catch my drift.
In other spicy Atlantic Division tidbits:
Over at the Red Wings’ nest, they made a little announcement on Twitter that had the fans clicking: Brogan Rafferty, the blue-liner from the AHL’s Grand Rapids, got the call-up. Yeah, this isn’t his first rodeo; he’s been yanked up before but didn’t get to strut his stuff on the big stage. Honestly, don’t bet your last puck on seeing him play this time either, unless the Red Wings’ lineup turns into a M.A.S.H. unit. Rafferty, a sprightly twenty-eight, has been proving his worth in the minors though, stacking up fifteen points in thirty-five games with the Griffins.
And let’s not forget about the Lightning—they’ve got their own injury soap opera. The Athletic’s Eduardo A. Encina spilled the beans that the only walking wounded who might beat the All-Star buzzer is Erik Cernak, who’s itching to return from his mysterious upper-body ailment. Cernak’s been out of action for just a smidge over a week, but he’s got his eyes on the prize for the upcoming three games. As for the rest of the Lightning’s band of bruised brothers: Tanner Jeannot is still chilling in the week-to-week club, while Mikhail Sergachev and Haydn Fleury, who’ve been hanging in LTIR land, should be peeking over the injury fence post-All-Star shenanigans. Stay tuned, kids—hockey drama never sleeps!