The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone through some massive changes this summer, losing superstar forward Mitchell Marner and having to try and make some different additions to keep them competitive and dominant offensively. Aside from their changes up front, they decided to make a trade with the San Jose Sharks, trading Ryan Reaves in exchange for defender Henry Thrun.
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Reaves was brought to the Maple Leafs originally as a way to add some physicality to their bottom-six forward group, but he didn’t fit in the way they had hoped. Thrun, who is 24 years old, has struggled to keep himself as a mainstay in the NHL, but has carved out a solid start to his career up until this point. In 60 games with the Sharks last season, he scored two goals and added 10 assists for 12 points.
One thing that stands out to some fans, though, is Thrun’s analytics, which don’t look great.
Henry Thrun, acquired by TOR, is a depth defenceman. pic.twitter.com/lYGpqTQE3E
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 11, 2025
As always, analytics are not the be-all, end-all, but it isn’t promising that his underlying numbers don’t look great. A fresh start could be exactly what he needed to build confidence and keep himself in a role at the NHL level, and he should be able to earn a bottom-pairing role with the Maple Leafs next season.
Thrun Acquisition Adds Valuable Depth
Thrun is a left-shot defender, and while Simon Benoit is pencilled in to earn the bottom-pairing role on the left side to start the campaign, a strong preseason and a strong start to the regular season could force the Maple Leafs to consider making some changes.
It’s fair to assume Thrun will make the opening-night roster regardless of his role, but it’s up to him to make a push to be in the lineup each night. He is a more affordable option than Benoit, and while he is in the final season of his current contract, he could prove to be a steal if he bounces back and proves he belongs at the NHL level.
His size and skating ability make him an enticing addition. Defensively, he needs games in the NHL to improve against some tougher competition, but he has all the tools to be a solid contributor who shuts down the opposition. He won’t be leaned on to provide a ton of offensive production, having scored only five goals and added 20 assists for 25 points through 119 career games, but he does have a small knack to jump up offensively when required.
Considering the Maple Leafs only had to part with Reaves, who likely would have been placed on waivers and sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) to bring in Thrun, this deal is already seen as a win for them. If Thrun doesn’t pan out, they can let him walk to free agency next summer, and nobody would bat an eye.
However, I am confident Thrun will be able to bounce back next season and find a way to contribute in some way to the Maple Leafs’ success, as they push to try and win their first Stanley Cup since 1967 and end the longest championship drought in the NHL.
They came up just short of knocking off the defending champions, the Florida Panthers, who defeated them in seven games in the second round last season, and Thrun could be someone who helps them finally make their deepest run in a long time.
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