Wilderness Walk: Ryan Reaves, unique hitter

There are a bevy of skills in the sport of hockey where some make it their art. Alex Ovechkin scoring unstoppable goals from the same spot on the ice for his entire career; Connor McDavid’s acceleration; Auston Matthew’s quick release. But for our Minnesota Wild bruiser Ryan Reaves, it’s all about the art of hitting.

After Wednesday’s demolition against the Detroit Red Wings and laying out Filip Hronek, Reaves explained how he hits and his unique way of doing

“I kind of hit like a football player,” Reaves said. “I don’t always turn sideways, which sometimes when you turn sideways you catch head. A lot of times I go straight on and I kind of push with my hands, so it’s a lot of chest. That was one of those.” — The Athletic

Yeah, Reaves does tend to just bulldoze his way through a lot of opponents and not really pick certain spots. It’s just an overall demolition.

That’s Wild

• If you want to read more about the Reaves hit and have other people talk about it, Michael Russo wrote it up. [The Athletic]
• Over at The Athletic, they put our their massive trade board (that lasts way too long) to keep up-to-date on the rumors. Well, they put two Wild defensemen in their first draft. Spoilers for those that don’t want to pay them: It’s Matt Dumba and Alex Goligoski. [The Athletic]

Off the trail...

• In other news, the Los Angeles Kings signed Trevor Moore to a five-year, $21-million contract extension after having one decent season last year. [ESPN]
• Matt Duchene spilled some beans on a podcast about his relationship with Colorado Avalanche exec Joe Sakic. [Mile High Hockey]