Sharks trade defenseman Henry Thrun to Maple Leafs for forward Ryan Reaves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With a slew of NHL-caliber defensemen on the Sharks’ roster, Henry Thrun was the odd man out on Thursday.
San Jose traded Thrun to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Ryan Reaves, the team announced, acquiring a postseason-experienced player who is very familiar with the Sharks.
“We’re excited to welcome Ryan to the organization,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He will bring energy, personality, physical play and toughness to our group. He has been a part of many winning teams, and I witnessed firsthand the positive impact he can bring to a group when I was with the Rangers.”
Reaves was involved in one of the most personal feuds in NHL history with former Sharks wing Evander Kane during the former’s time with the Vegas Golden Knights — a rivalry that reached a boiling point with an epic on-ice fight during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.
But those days are in the past as Reaves joins San Jose in Thursday’s trade. Reaves, 38, has appeared in 912 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Toronto. Reaves has posted 137 points (63 goals, 74 assists) and 1100 penalty minutes across that span, and also has made the playoffs in 14 of his last 15 seasons.
Last season with Toronto, Reaves appeared in 35 games, recording two assists and 28 penalty minutes. He also played in three AHL games with the Toronto Marlies and scored one goal.
Last week, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported, citing sources, that it was expected at least one Sharks defenseman would be traded after San Jose signed Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg in NHL free agency and claimed Nick Leddy off waivers. Pagnotta reported both Thrun and Timothy Liljegren would be available.
The Sharks acquired Thrun in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 28, 2023, and he appeared in 119 games with San Jose over three seasons (2023-2025), posting 25 points (five goals, 20 assists). He also appeared in 18 career games with the San Jose Barracuda, totaling six points (one goal, five assists).