The 2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs season is coming fast but before the games truly matter, we at Editor In Leaf are taking a look at one player everyday until the puck is dropped, and what we could expect from them this time around.
With training camp across the NHL starting up, there are many players who find themselves on new teams and looking to carve out a role on their new team, while prospects and veterans around the league also fight for a spot on their club's NHL roster. Here at Editor in Leaf we are taking a look at one player everyday until the puck is dropped, and what we can expect from them in the 2025-26 season.
Henry Thrun falls under the category of newly acquired players, and also will be fighting for a spot on a blueline that already has many bodies. The Leafs traded for the 24 year-old defender in exchange for forward Ryan Reaves. Thrun is in the final year of his contract, and will be expiring as a restricted free agent at the end of the year. The 6-foot-2 defender has had a relatively short career at the NHL level thus far, with 119 NHL games played to this point.
Can Thrun compete for playing time and make an impact on a Leafs team that is looking to win now? Training camp will help answer this question, but ultimately it will be on Thrun to compete.
What did we see from Thrun last season?
Henry Thrun is a new face to the Leafs, but played 60 games last season with the San Jose Sharks. Thrun scored two goals and ten points in those 60 games, but is more of a defensive deffender, so he shouldn't be marked just on point totals. Thrun had a minus-23 rating, and had 66 blocks and 43 hits last season while averaging 17:31 of ice time per game. These numbers don't look great at a surface value, but note the Sharks are deep in the middle of a rebuild, and while they've drafted some promising talent, they are not yet at a competitive team. The stage of a team can sometimes bring down the numbers on a player from what their actual skill level.
Thrun's previous career slightly resembles that of Simon Benoit. Benoit was a part of a struggling and rebuilding Anaheim team and had weak numbers in his last year with Anaheim. This resulted in them giving up on him and not issuing a qualifying offer to him, which ultimately led to the Leafs giving him a chance and he played 78 games with the Leafs last season with far better numbers than his days in Anaheim. While Benoit isn't a star player, he has become a serviceable option for Toronto to have in their lineup, and the same is possible with Thrun.
What should we expect from Thrun this season?
Now on a new team, Thrun will look to start with a strong pre-season and push for a spot on the NHL roster to start the season. To make the opening day roster, Thrun will need to have a better camp than at least two of Benning, Benoit, Myers and Mermis. Thrun has his work cut out for him, but being a younger player under team-control does give some advantages if he impresses the coaches.
Thrun will need to play a simple game, but still stand out. The Leafs have had trouble breaking the puck out of their own zone at times, and while Thrun is more of a defensive defender, will he be able to move the puck quickly and effectively out of his own end? Thrun is a smooth skater, and has used that to his advantage to close gaps. If Thrun can utilize his skating to both get the puck down the ice and prevent chances against, he could see a fair amount of NHL games this season.
Thrun has the potential to be a depth player in the NHL, but ultimately he will need to prove it from the start of camp and into the season. Look for Thrun to adapt his gameplay to Berube hockey as he pushes to win a roster spot.