Meet Henry Thrun: 24-Year-Old Defenseman the Maple Leafs Just Landed in Ryan Reaves Trade

When the Maple Leafs traded Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks, it was a bit of a shocker considering that Reaves' skillset isn't necessarily conducive to the modern day NHL, and the fact Toronto could dump his deal off in any respect should be commended.

Coming back over in the deal was 24-year old defenseman Henry Thrun, someone who we recently touched on as a potential candidate to help the Leafs and perhaps replace someone like Simon Benoit if he struggles.

He hasn't really been able to find his footing in San Jose, and with the Sharks clearly deciding to choose Timothy Liljegren over Thrun (another former Maple Leafs player) Toronto gets a chance to add a young blueliner with a lot of potential.

Thrun, 24, was drafted 101st overall by Anaheim in 2019 but decided to let his rights expire and his signing rights were traded to the Sharks soon after.

He's 6'2, 210 pounds and is again, your typical Brad Treliving player. He puts his body on the line, is physical, and isn't afraid to get rough when the situation calls for it.

Not really an offensive player yet, with only 25 points in 119 games (5 goals, 20 assists) he does have 146 blocks and 73 hits; but is a solid skater who can make a good first pass, and does offer a bit more upside in offense over Benoit.

Thrun was a standout at Harvard during his NCAA career however. With 84 points in 99 games (17 goals, 67 assists) he clearly has some offense to his game, and it's only a matter of time before we see the results.

While he won't immediately jump into the lineup, he does have a good chance of coming in as the 7th or 8th defenseman for the Leafs, and if Benoit or someone like Oliver Ekman-Larsson struggles or goes down with injury; Thrun is more than capable.

The team also does employ Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis to step into those roles as well, but with a lack of star defenders in their AHL system, he'll likely be in the top-4 over there while he waits it out.

But he's only 24, and with a Leafs team that has seen the likes of Topi Niemala and Mikko Kokkonen leave, Thrun makes sense to slot in as the next young potential blue-chipper on the back end.

Plus, he only makes $1-million, is an RFA after this season and will more than likely be a low-risk, low-cost option for Brad Treliving in the years to come; and with Toronto's aging blueline he fits in the timeline.

So while he might not get his chance right away, the pickup of Thrun for Reaves was definitely a savvy one.

Though, regardless of who the Leafs got back, the main focus was getting rid of Reaves and they did so in stunning fashion, going back to Mike Grier and the Sharks once again.