The Toronto Maple Leafs fleeced the San Jose Sharks yet again. This time, it was the Ryan Reaves trade that sent the much-maligned enforcer to the West Coast in exchange for an apparent depth defenseman, Henry Thrun.
On the surface, the deal seems relatively inconsequential. The Leafs dumped the final year of Reaves’ contract on the Sharks. Meanwhile, the Sharks took the contract as adding Reaves’ muscle provides an insurance policy to protect young stars Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith from being bullied in the schoolyard.
But the subtext reveals this trade was a masterstroke by GM Brad Treliving. In a great piece by my colleague Thomas Williams, news surfaced that Reaves had requested a trade out of Toronto.
The trade request coincides with Reaves admitting he met with Mitch Marner in Las Vegas and then openly defending Marner in an interview on the Cam and Strick Podcast.
Those circumstances could have precipitated the trade, likely landing the Leafs “future considerations.”
That’s what the Detroit Red Wings got for Vladimir Tarasenko. The Wings dumped Tarasenko for nada, after he scored 11 goals and 33 points this past season. Reaves scored a grand total of zero goals this past season.
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic had more goals than Reaves.
The return for Reaves, given the circumstances, resembles what the Leafs got for Liljegren. Last November, Liljegren demanded a move out of Toronto. The team complied and sent him to the Sharks. The Leafs got back veteran blue liner Matt Benning, a 2026 sixth-round pick, and a 2025 third-rounder. That third-rounder turned into Tyler Hopkins.
Meanwhile, Benning played 36 games for the Toronto Marlies this season. He scored one goal and eight points in 36 games. That’s fantastic production from a former sixth-round pick and a player who may never see the NHL again.
The three pieces in return for Liljegren were a fleecing. If Hopkins at least makes it to the NHL, the deal will look even worse for the Sharks.
That’s the potential outcome for the Sharks in the Reaves trade. Reaves will likely be done after this season. But Thrun, he could turn into a meaningful piece moving forward.
Thrun “perfect fit” for Maple Leafs
A piece in Sports Illustrated published on July 11 called Henry Thrun a “perfect fit” for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The piece cited stretches in which Thrun played well for the Sharks. That’s no overstatement. Thrun played well enough to earn some regular ice time down the stretch. He proved to be a physical presence and unafraid to go toe-to-toe if the situation warranted it.
While Thrun is a bottom-pairing defenseman at best, it’s a tantalizing idea to picture how much he could improve. He’s 24 and has an upside that the Sharks likely didn’t see in him.
Thrun could thrive under Craig Berube, showing a sort of emergence like Simon Benoit did. Benoit was a castaway, finding a new lease on the NHL in Toronto.
Could Thrun be the next iteration of Simon Benoit?
The fact of the matter is that the Maple Leafs are trying their best to emulate the Florida Panthers. The Panthers have consistently found solid depth players who somehow find another gear in the postseason.
Thrun could be that sort of guy. He could just wash out and run out his contract with the Marlies. But then again, the Maple Leafs could have found treasure where others overlooked.