Leafs Ryan Reaves Talks After Getting Suspended For Brutal Hit On Oilers' Darnell Nurse

Toronto Maple Leafs tough guy Ryan Reaves is just about finished serving his five-game suspension for a brutal hit he threw on Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.

Nurse was bloodied on the play in which he said that it was "pretty obvious" that Reaves was targeting his head.

Wheher he targeted or not, he sure got most of it…

Reaves responded to this in his own inimitable style as he prepares to return to the Leafs lineup on Wednesday against the Nashville Predators after a five-game suspension.

"The only truth that he spoke was, I go out there to inflict pain. That's a fact, and that's not going to stop. But I'm going to continue to do it legally. I'm going to keep playing hard, if not harder, now, and keep burying guys," Reaves said in his first comments the hit.

According to Sportsnet, Reaves continued on, saying that the incident was, "something you don't want to see," and joked about what he told his kids after his suspension without pay forced him to cough up $35,000.

"I don't want to get into that," Reaves said when asked what he thought about the league's decision to suspend him. "I already told the kids that Christmas is canceled. I don’t want to get fined again."

Reaves is a guy who really toes the line of decency with his physical game. Is there value in that? Of course there is, and that's why he has been around the league a long time.

However, that style of play can be a liability if it crosses the line — which Reaves certainly did with the hit on Nurse — especially when his point production isn't at a pace that will justify his spot in the lineup. In 16 games, Reaves has only 1 point.

The Leafs could have some more salary cap trouble moving forward, and while Reaves' $1.35 million cap hit isn't huge, if his production is down and his physical play continues to be a liability, there's probably a more effective way they can spend that money.