Ryan Reaves clarifies he didn’t exactly request trade from Rangers

new york rangers ryan reaves
Apr 21, 2022; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Ryan Reaves (75) celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Reaves touched Madison Square Garden ice at the morning skate in preparation for his Minnesota Wild to take on the New York Rangers.

This is his first trip back after being traded for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 Draft back on November 23. However, Reavo wanted to make a couple of things clear including a report saying that he asked for a trade.

Ryan Reaves on trade request

ryan reaves rangers
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Per the NY Post’s Mollie Walker, Reaves claims that the request for a trade is a “half truth, half lie,” and that the trade was in the works for awhile. Apparently, once he knew about a deal to the Wild, he gave it his blessing.

The report Reaves is referencing appeared in the NY Post the day of the trade to Minnesota and stated:

Reaves’ agent, Kevin Epp, asked Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury for a trade while the team was in Los Angeles earlier this week, according to a source. The Rangers wanted to give Reaves a dignified departure, so reuniting him with Wild general manager Bill Guerin, whom the veteran winger knows from his days in Pittsburgh, was a way to do it.

After the trade, Reaves appeared on the Minnesota Wild’s talk show ‘Wild on 7th’ and explained how the deal came about.

“My wife sent me an article that the Rangers were looking to dump my salary,” Reaves said. “So I approached [Chris Drury] and asked if there was any truth behind this. We went back and forth and I said listen, ‘Am I gonna play? I’m getting older and I want a contract next year.’ I’m not going to get one if I’m not playing and we came to the decision that if I’m not playing I’ve got to get out of here. Basically I got a call from Billy (Guerin) and here I am.”

Trade details aside, when the puck drops tonight all previous friendships will go out the door. When asked about possibly dropping the gloves with any of his former teammates, Reavo wasn’t bashful to respond.

“I’d be happy to go 2-on-1, to be honest,” Reaves said via Mollie Walker. “That’s what it’s gonna take. You can write that wherever you want to write it.”

One thing for sure, Reaves will be on the ice looking for big hits. Something his good friend Barclay Goodrow is aware of.

“You have to keep your head up out there since he’s going to be looking for a hit,” Goodrow noted. “Whenever you go back to play a former team, especially for the first time, he’s going to be jacked up. His juices will be flowing, so we’ll try and match that to pick up two points.”

Reaves, 35, played a total 81 regular season games on Broadway in a little over one season registering 5 goals and 13 points with 55 penalty minutes. He also picked up 5 fighting majors in a Rangers uniform. Unfortunately for him, the Rangers were looking for more speed and cap space in the lineup leading to Reaves being scratched in 7 of 8 games before the trade.

Updates: You can read Ryan Reaves’ full quotes on the matter in Mollie Walker’s latest for the NY Post in the link below.

“I think I’ve always been honest with my game and with myself to management and coaches,” he said. “For something like that to be going on and not communicated to me, it was a little frustrating. Left a little bitter taste in my mouth, for sure.”

Ryan Reaves, via NY Post

Prior to the game, Gerard Gallant was asked about Reaves’ comments and said he was “surprised” but what was said regarding communication.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

Things are Kraken in Seattle. Read more.

NHL Rumors: Bo Horvat a Kraken trade target? Read more.

Flyers bench boss John Tortorella rips the NHL All Star Game. Read more.

Anthony Scultore is the founder of Forever Blueshirts and has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL... More about Anthony Scultore

Mentioned in this article::

More About: