Ryan Reaves is trapped in Rangers limbo

So it is four of the last five games for which Ryan Reaves has been a healthy scratch, and if head coach Gerard Gallant’s post-practice observation about liking his line combinations in Sunday’s victory over Arizona provide a hint, it will be five out of six in street clothes for No. 75 when the Rangers open their four-game western swing with Thursday’s match in Seattle.

And with the Blueshirts apparently fully healthy with Vitali Kravtsov’s return to the ice after having missed the weekend back-to-back with dental issues, this raises the question whether Reaves is on the endangered species list when it comes to management trimming a forward from the roster in order to create immediate breathing room under the cap and, more critically, necessary space at the deadline.

If the fragile Kravtsov — who has had four separate health-related absences totaling 10 of the first 17 games — can avoid another mishap on this trip, general manager Chris Drury might be prompted to act upon the club’s Thanksgiving return from the West Coast.

Paring Reaves from the roster on Nov. 28 would save a pro-rated $1.125 million (the AHL allowance) under the cap and create an additional $3.825 million of space at the March 3 trade deadline. That assumes that no team would claim Reaves off waivers and he would join the Wolf Pack.

Reaves told The Post on Tuesday that he had, “a brief conversation, very brief,” with the coaching staff regarding his role. After playing the first eight games, the winger has been a scratch in five of the last nine, averaging just 8:27 of ice time per, down more than two minutes from last season’s 10:39.

It does not matter if one is a top-sixer or fourth-liner, it is extremely difficult for a player in his mid-30s to play to maximum ability with ice time that sparing.

“When I was out of the lineup for that week, I kind of needed that to get back to speed,” said Reaves, who went from Nov. 3 to Nov. 12 without a game. “I felt like I’d been slow, so I worked every day building speed and confidence.

“I bag-skated every day and worked every day with [skills coach Mark Ciaccio]. I do extra work after practice, I put in as much work as I can at practices that follow games where I didn’t play. That’s necessary for me.

“But we’ve got a lot of bodies around here and I don’t know how it’s going to shake out.”

Gallant said that he does not like to construct a lineup based on the opponent’s personnel, though he acknowledged that at least part of the decision to dress Reaves on Saturday in Nashville was due to the Predators’ size and physical approach. The winger accepted Tanner Jeannot’s invitation to drop the gloves after plastering Ryan McDonagh into the end glass late in the third period of that one.

“I want Reavo to be a good player every night and be a big part of our group and that’s what we asked from Day 1,” said Gallant, who of course coached Reaves in Vegas. “Right now we added some more speed to our group and when he doesn’t play that’s probably the reason — adding more speed.

“When Reavo plays well, I love having him be a part of our group — a big part of our group.”

Julien Gauthier has hit some high notes in the eight games he has played since his recall from the Wolf Pack on Oct. 26 while bouncing around the lineup. He brought bookend speed across from Sammy Blais on the fourth line Sunday that was centered by Ryan Carpenter while Barclay Goodrow shifted to the top-six to fill the vacancy created by Kravtsov’s absence.

Gauthier can play only one more game before he’d be required to go back on waivers in order to be returned to Hartford. The winger cleared out of training camp, but this impressive second-look might prompt a claim by a needy team. The Blueshirts might not want to take the risk.

Reaves has not recorded a point. He has been on the ice for one goal for (in the opener against Tampa Bay) and six against. Still, there would be a risk in removing Reaves from the equation, as well.

Though he is not necessarily a deterrent, there is little question that his presence does tend to embolden his more finesse-oriented, less physically inclined teammates. There is as well the leadership quality that Reaves brings to the room, though the winger acknowledged his influence wanes when he is not in the lineup.

“To a certain point, it’s different. I’m not around the guys on game-days. I’m not there to release them and bring that kind of energy to the pregame,” Reaves said. “It’s a little bit different now.

“Going forward, I’m not sure how it’s going to work out. It’s not my decision. I’m going to stay ready and make sure I can contribute when they call on me.”