After speculation that the Sharks have been shopping defenders after bringing on Orlov and Leddy, the Sharks have made their move late last night. The Sharks are trading defenseman Henry Thrun to Toronto for veteran forward Ryan Reaves.
The Sharks had eight waiver-eligible defenseman before this trade, and with youngsters Sam Dickinson and Luca Cagnoni vying for roles next season, there was a logjam on the backend. Reportedly, the Sharks were shopping Ferraro, Liljegren, and Thrun. As I predicted, the Sharks leaned more towards Thrun than the other two. While Thrun is still young at just 24 years old, the defender has shown very little promise at the NHL level and has contributed to the Sharks' struggles on the backend more than he has helped. Thrun has struggled to develop for the Sharks; his poor skating and lack of physicality on the backend have hurt him, and while he isn’t a horrible puck mover, he is not good enough to compensate for the weaknesses in his game. The once promising prospect for the Sharks has lost his luster, and a change of scenery should benefit both sides.
In return, the Sharks get a familiar face in Ryan Reaves. Reaves was a member of the Vegas Golden Knights throughout the peak of their rivalry with San Jose, and his antics throughout their meetings always added fuel to the fire.
Now 38, the game's last true enforcer is well past his prime, suiting up in just 35 games last season in addition to going unclaimed on waivers. Reaves won’t be a significant contributor on the ice for the Sharks, but he does have value. Reaves is known for his leadership ability, something that can help an extremely young team next season, even if he isn’t playing. On the ice, Reaves can at the very least set the tone physically, something the Sharks struggled with last season.
In terms of value, it isn't a lot given the 3rd-round pick invested in Thrun originally, but Thrun has little value at this point, so expecting much more was unrealistic. Reaves is in the final year of his deal and will be a UFA at season's end.
Before this deal, the Sharks were looking to add a top 9 forward. Reaves is unlikely to meet this criteria, so they could still look to make more additions to their forward core before the season begins.