Reaves opens up on trade, Wilson taken in Washington (Penguins)

Ryan Reaves at practice Tuesday in Washington - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

WASHINGTON -- Ryan Reaves evidently has moved on.

After playing only 58 games in a Penguins sweater, Reaves was dealt to the Golden Knights late last February. The Penguins got their coveted third-line center in Derick Brassard. Reaves got the extended playing time he so desired in the desert.

Reaves established himself as a fan favorite during his short stay in Pittsburgh. His smile is infectious, his personality engaging, his fists thunderous. He was here for one primary purpose -- to protect a star-studded lineup -- and it's a role he cherished on a championship contender after spending the previous seven seasons in St. Louis.

He loved his teammates. They loved him back.

Though it has only been a little more than six months since Reaves' exit, he admits that -- at times -- it feels like a lifetime ago. Since, he has helped lead Vegas to a Western Conference title and even scored the series-clinching goal in his hometown of Winnipeg. He says he has truly found a home in Nevada. His new coaches don't put limitations on him, he said. He is a mainstay in the lineup.

On this Tuesday afternoon inside the visitors' at Capital One Arena, Reaves sat shirtless, all those tattoos on full display, in front of his stall. Wednesday night, he and the Golden Knights will face the Capitals in a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final. Thursday night, he'll return to Pittsburgh for the first time.

Staff photographer Matt Sunday and I spent the day with Reaves, and this was our exchange, in words and pictures:

Ryan Reaves sits on the dashers Tuesday in Washington. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

Cody Tucker: Ryan, can you take me back to the day you were traded? Where were you? How did you get the news?

Reaves: You know, I wasn't playing in Carolina. I just read on Twitter that there's a trade in place with Ottawa. It was saying Derick Brassard and Ian Cole, so it just looked like that was going on and then the league declined it. Then, there's another tweet saying looks like Vegas is getting involved, so in the back of my head -- for some reason -- I just knew I was going to get tossed in there.

Cody: Why did you think that?

Reaves: I've got a good relationship with Kelly McCrimmon, the assistant GM here. He was my coach, GM and owner in juniors, a guy I keep in touch with every year. So I just had a feeling. And 10 minutes later, Jim Rutherford came down to the locker room and told me I was going to Vegas.

Cody: What was that scene like, saying goodbye to your teammates?

Reaves: Yeah, I mean, that was a little weird because I only saw them in between the second and third periods, so, I only really got to say my quick goodbyes and then had to get back to the hotel and pack up.

Cody: What were your emotions?

Reaves: I had mixed feelings. I think, obviously, I was having fun in Pittsburgh but wasn't playing a lot. And, you know, we had some guys coming back from injury, and it just kind of looked like I wasn't going to be in the lineup. So, you know, from that standpoint, I got to know some really good guys over there and made some good friends. It's obviously tough saying goodbye to those guys, but from a hockey standpoint, I think it was the best thing for my career.

Ryan Reaves having fun with William Carrier at practice Tuesday. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

Cody: When the shock wore off a little bit, you come to Vegas. What a special group this is. Can you talk about what it was like coming here and walking into this locker room right in time for a playoff push?

Reaves: I mean, it was easy. I think anybody that's coming into this locker room can see we have fun and that's something that drives us. Every day we come to the rink, we have fun and we work hard. We work really hard and practice hard on and off the ice, but we have a lot of fun doing it. I think that’s the M.O. of this team. It's just easy to fit in here.

Cody: What was your favorite part about living and playing in Pittsburgh? What do you miss about the city? I assume it's a little easier to walk down the street unnoticed in Las Vegas?

Reaves: I just know I missed the boys that I had a good relationships with. It's a good group of guys over there, and anytime you say bye to a team, you're going to miss the boys. I was definitely more of a homebody in Pittsburgh. You know, I spent a lot of time in the house. The weather is a little different than Vegas, so I stayed inside a little bit more.

Cody: A little different?

Reaves: (Laughs) Yeah, Vegas is definitely a little bit of the exact opposite of Pittsburgh, that’s for sure.

Cody: Are you surprised at all about the impact you made on teammates and the fan base in Pittsburgh over just 58 games?

Reaves: I don't know? I guess I don't get to see it as much as maybe you guys do, but I had fun and the fans embraced me, even though it didn’t look like they were going to when I got traded there. I had fun. It was a good 58 games.

Cody: Tom Wilson ... what are your thoughts on his recent punishment, 20 games? Do you think it was just?

Reaves: I mean, you know, he's been given a lot of chances. At some point, the league is going to have to deal with it, and they did. They had to deal with the problem. They did. You know, hopefully he gets the message. He's a good player, he's a big boy that plays physical and he's got good hands, but I think he's just got to learn to control how he hits a little bit better.

Cody: I'm sure you saw the hit during the playoffs on Zach Aston-Reese. There is thinking out there that if you were on the roster, that might not have happened. When you saw that play, did you ever think about what you might have done if you still played for the Penguins?

Reaves: It might have gone through my head. There's a lot of what-ifs in your career. It was just a little weird when, you know, the Penguins traded for me because they're getting beat up in the playoffs all the time, I got traded right before playoffs, and they got beat up in the playoffs a little bit. But, you know, it's a business. And, you know, they wanted Brassard really bad and they got their guy.

Cody: You have shown that you aren't just a tough guy. Do you wish that you could've shown Pittsburgh a little more of what you can really do?

Reaves: Well, yes and no, because, you know, if I would have shown that there I probably wouldn't be here, and I'm definitely happy here right now. And, you know, I think there's a great fit. The way the coaches uses me gives me an opportunity to play my game and to contribute on a daily basis and play almost double-digit minutes every night. So, I mean, it's always good to show a team what you can do, but at the same time, where I ended up because of it I'm much more happy with that.

Matt Sunday: Ryan, you've joked about St. Louis asking you to pose in a fighting position on photo day, and how you were surprised when Pittsburgh asked you to hold a stick for it last year. In Vegas, you wore a robe for photos and seem to have taken on an even more playful identity. How has your persona changed from that fighter in St. Louis to who you are now?

Reaves: You know, trying to adapt to the style of hockey right now. When I first came to St. Louis, yeah I was definitely in more of that fighting role and just kind of a grinder. As the league kind of changed and got faster I think my last couple years I was evolving a little bit with St. Louis. And then trying to do it with Pittsburgh, but I don't know if I played my best hockey, didn't get the right opportunity — whatever you want to call it. But, yeah, I mean here this is — it's a good fit. He lets me do my thing. And, you know play physical. You know get in guys faces but still have the opportunity to play. And, you know, I'm definitely having fun doing it.

Cody: Even though you only played 58 games in Pittsburgh, is Thursday going to be special for you?

Reaves: I don't know? I just hope the boys keep their heads up because I got no friends for two hours, that's for sure.

Cody: They are going to love hearing that ...

Reaves: (laughs) I'm sure.

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY

Ryan Reaves at practice Tuesday, in Washington. -- MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

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