The Ryan Reaves chapter with the Toronto Maple Leafs has come to an end.
On Thursday evening, the Maple Leafs revealed that they traded the seasoned forward to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defender Henry Thrun. The 24-year-old defenseman played 60 games with the Sharks last season, averaging 17:31 minutes on ice, and recorded two goals along with 10 assists.
This trade frees Toronto from Reaves’ $1.35 million salary while bringing in Thrun, who carries an average annual value of $1 million in the final year of his contract. Toronto began the season in the AHL, saving $350,000 by acquiring Thrun for Reaves and avoiding paying $200,000 for a minor league player. Currently, the Maple Leafs have $5.33 million available under the salary cap, according to Puckpedia.
Speculation around Reaves’ future in Toronto increased after he appeared on the Cam & Knit Podcast, where he mentioned wanting to reach the 1,000-game milestone before retiring, alongside Andy Strickland and Cam Jansen. The 38-year-old, who played 35 games for Toronto last season, is 88 games shy of this milestone.
The Leafs were also in pursuit of another forward and showed interest in Andrew Mangiapane, who eventually signed a two-year, $7.2 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers rather than Toronto.
With Toronto’s Stanley Cup ambitions and Reaves’ enforcer style, it seemed like a mismatch, leading to the end of his stint with the Maple Leafs after 84 games, during which he tallied four goals and four assists.
In return, Toronto gains a young defenseman still carving out his NHL path. Thrun, the 101st overall pick by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2019 NHL Draft, has played 119 NHL games with the Sharks. While he posted nearly a point-per-game pace at Harvard (63 points in 68 games), he has yet to replicate that in the professional ranks.
Over three seasons with San Jose, Thrun accumulated five goals and 20 assists, averaging 18:44 minutes of ice time. Notably, his first NHL goal was against Toronto on January 9, 2024, during a 7-1 Sharks loss. As a young player, the Leafs see potential in him to develop further within their system. Thrun will become a restricted free agent after this season.
(Footnote: Top photo of Thrun by Robert Edwards/Imagn Images)
Fan Take: This trade signals a shift in the Maple Leafs’ strategy as they move towards integrating young talent over veteran enforcers, which could lead to a faster, more skilled team dynamic. For hockey fans, it’s exciting to see Toronto focusing on development and cap flexibility, potentially setting the stage for deeper playoff runs and long-term success.
