Ryan Reaves is set to return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since being traded on Tuesday night when the Minnesota Wild visit the New York Rangers.
As he gears up for the reunion, he answered a few questions about it, cracking a few jokes but revealing an important tidbit in the process. According to Mollie Walker of the NY Post, Reaves said the rumor that he requested a trade out of New York was not entirely true and that the deal had been in the works for some time.
Walker writes: "Very interesting conversation with Ryan Reaves, who said the #NYR's notion that he asked for a trade is «a half truth and a half lie.» The trade with Minnesota had been in the works before he was aware.
Agreed that communication could've been better."
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Reaves' time in New York did end on a sour-ish note, that much is certain. He wasn't playing very much, dressing in just 12 games for the Rangers with minimal ice time. It isn't difficult to imagine why, though.
As Reaves gears up for a bittersweet return, odds are he makes his presence felt tonight, and many are wondering if any of his former teammates will challenge him.
A question to which Reaves quipped, "I'd be happy to go 2 on 1, to be honest. That's what it's gonna take."
Was that a shot at the Rangers' lack of toughness now that Reaves is gone? Or simply a jab at his former comrades? Perhaps both.
Reaves certainly wasted no time making waves in Minnesota, dishing out some bonecrushing hits in his short 20-game tenure:
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Will Ryan Reaves drop the gloves against his former team on Tuesday night?
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