The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Henry Thrun from the San Jose Sharks for forward Ryan Reaves. In a late-night trade with the Sharks, the Maple Leafs were able to clear his entire $1.35 million cap hit off their salary cap while also adding a young, depth defenseman in the process.
Thrun, 24, has played in 119 NHL games with the Sharks and has scored five goals and 20 assists for 25 points. He was originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2019 NHL Draft. Last season, he played in 60 games and recorded 12 points while averaging 17:31 of ice time. Thrun is a left-handed shooting defenseman who is entering the final year of a two-year deal that pays him $1 million. Although he could be entering camp as the seventh defensemen, if the Maple Leafs move another defender to add a forward, he could fill a role on the third pairing.
As for Reaves, he was recently a guest on the Cam & Strick Podcast and expressed a desire to play at least two more years to reach the 1,000-game mark. Fortunately, with the Sharks, he’ll have that chance while also being tasked with protecting their young core. At 38 years old, his time in the NHL is running out, and with his new team, he’ll likely be given the opportunity to play on a nightly basis.
Related: Maple Leafs Reportedly Interested in Free Agent Jack Roslovic
The Maple Leafs now have $5.3 million in projected cap space with their sights set on improving their team and changing the team’s DNA.
