The Toronto Maple Leafs had a busy summer. Mitch Marner wasn’t the only player who packed their bags for greener pastures elsewhere in the NHL. Ryan Reaves was sent packing to the San Jose Sharks, with defenseman Henry Thrun coming back in return. The organization also made a trade for Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks.
On a recent episode of the Real Kyper & Bourne show, one analyst criticized the Maple Leafs team for lacking enforcers. Sportsnet NHL analyst Sam McKee was critical of the Reaves trade and the absence of a “heavy” to counter players from divisional rivals.
Canadiens vs Senators Heated Matchup Sparks Fighting Discussion
On the October 1 episode of the Real Kyper & Bourne show, a point of discussion was the rough-and-tumble preseason game between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. Hosts Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and McKee discussed the recent increased fighting in hockey.
“I’ll go back to 4 Nations and the ‘nine seconds, ‘” Kypreos said on the October 1st episode. “This stuff is making its way back.”
“I don’t disagree,” Bourne responded. “Everyone projects where the NHL is going to go, ‘Ah, it’s all speed and skill.’ It can only go so far; it’s a physical, contact, competitive sport.”
“Whether the fighting is always there or not, this element of intimidation is going to be there.”
“If you have two Xhekaj’s on your team, that’s going to drive things up a little bit,” McKee countered.
The Maple Leafs Lack Fighters
At this point in the discussion, McKee pointed out that the Maple Leafs don’t have an answer to Florian or Arber Xhekaj.
“Leafs going to have to face two Xhekaj’s…so they’re going to have to send out Pezzetta to deal with those guys?” McKee revealed. “Everyone hated on Ryan Reaves for two years, but it was nice having a heavy to deal with these guys in the division; the McEwans, the Xhekaj’s.”
McKee assessed a few Maple Leafs players and their ability to fight. He mentions Steven Lorentz, Scott Laughton, and Easton Cowan explicitly.
“Lorentz isn’t going to fight anybody,” McKee reasoned. “Laughton might look at him funny, but he’s not going to fight. Cowan’s not going to fight. I guess it’s (Dakota) Joshua, right? Who Else?”
“(Joshua’s) not exactly a heavy, he’s willing.”
How Much Did Ryan Reaves Actually Fight?
Fighting has been a part of hockey for a long time. It’s so ingrained into the culture of the sport that there is an entire website dedicated to it (hockeyfights.com).
Luckily, this website is a resource to see how much each player fights.
Over the last three seasons, Reaves has fought 15 times. He fought seven times each in the 2022-23 & 2023-24 seasons, and once in the 2024-25 season.
Joshua fought 10 times over the same span. He dropped the gloves four times in the 2022-23 & 2023-24 seasons, and twice last year. Laughton fought twice last year and once the year prior. Lorentz fought once last year and once in the 2021-22 playoffs.
One Maple Leafs player who has fought more than Joshua, Laughton, and Lorentz is Max Domi. He has dropped the gloves 12 times over the last three seasons. Domi fought four times in 2024-25, six times in 2023-24, and twice in 2022-23.
As far as their rivals go, Arber is certainly a heavyweight. He fought six times last year, seven times the year before, and nine times in the 2022-23 season. In the previous three seasons, Arber has fought 22 times.
Whether the Maple Leafs need an “answer” for Arber is up for debate. However, they have a few players who can answer the call when needed.