The Maple Leafs traded unhappy enforcer Ryan Reaves on Thursday night, sending the 38-year-old to the San Jose Sharks for 24-year-old defenceman Henry Thrun.
The Leafs also gained some salary-cap space by swapping Reaves’ $1.35-million (U.S.) cap hit for Thrun’s $1 million.
The move is believed to be a precursor to something bigger with Leafs general manager Brad Treliving looking for a top-six forward, now with $5.3 million in cap room.
Thrun, 24, skated in 60 games with San Jose in 2024-25, registering two goals and 10 assists. The six-foot-two, 210-pound, left-handed shooter has appeared in 119Â NHL games, all with San Jose, and has 25 points. He was a teammate of NHL stars Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras and Matthew Boldy in the U.S. development program in 2017 and 2018.
The Leafs waived Reaves toward the end of last season, then signed a younger enforcer — 27-year-old Michael Pezzetta — as a free agent last week.
Reaves, who signed with the Leafs as a free agent two summers ago, had two assists in 35 games this past season before being sent to the minors for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
He has played 912 NHL games, and mused recently on the “Cam and Strick†podcast that he’d like to hang around for 1,000. Â
“I’d love to hold on for another two years, hit that mark and ride into the sunset,†he said on the podcast. “I don’t think I’ve got more than two years left, but the dream is always the Stanley Cup. When I first came into the league, I remember telling my wife, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if I hit 100 games?’ Then it was 200, then 500, and now I’m thinking maybe I chase 1,000.
“For a player who plays like me, that’d be a pretty cool accomplishment. So, Stanley Cup and 1,000 games, in that order.â€
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The Sharks are swimming very close to the cap floor of $70.6 million. Reaves boosts them to $71.9 million. They could buy out Reaves and still be compliant.
Other Leafs veterans who might be on the move include David Kämpf and Calle Järnkrok.
The Leafs have 13 forwards, eight defencemen and two goalies under contract. Treliving also faces a salary arbitration hearing with forward Nick Robertson, and has mused about re-signing free agent forward Max Pacioretty.
Winger Jack Roslovic remains the biggest unsigned free agent this summer, a right winger who scored 22 goals last year in Carolina.
Kevin McGran is a Star sports reporter based in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½. Follow
him on Bluesky @kevinmcgran
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