In case you missed it, and it’s entirely possible during the middle of a beautiful Thursday night in Toronto, the Maple Leafs traded Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenceman Henry Thrun.
It’s a clever acquisition for the Leafs, adding a 24-year-old left-shot defenceman in Thrun, who could reasonably compete for, but isn’t guaranteed a place in the lineup this fall. He carries a $1-million cap hit for the 2024-25 season, and is slated to become a restricted free agent. Toronto did well to recoup some depth in exchange for Reaves, who was phased out of the lineup last season and his $1.35 million cap hit was considered onerous to the vast majority of teams. San Jose is expected to have some steady internal improvement from its very young core, while still being amid a promising rebuilding and can incur Reaves’ cap hit for one year without real detriment to its short-term goals.
This trade should be considered a win for the Maple Leafs, but it’s also important to be realistic about Thrun’s output. Thrun posted two goals and 12 points in 60 games for a Sharks team that finished dead last in the NHL by nine points. Simon Benoit has a clear advantage ahead of Thrun heading into training camp for the team’s third-pair spot on the left side, especially after his game took a clear leap after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. And really, here’s the important part: Thrun’s defensive metrics were awful last year, but how much of this is a function of being on a Sharks team that could stomach another year angling for a top pick?
There were 229 defencemen who played greater than 400 minutes at 5-on-5 and Thrun posted the fifth-worst Corsi (42.10%), the ninth-worst expected goals against per 60 (3.36) and fourth-worst expected goals share (38.66%) so it’s worth proceeding with some caution, even if this trade favours the Leafs. He was primarily paired with Cody Ceci last season as the 150th-most used pair in the NHL at 5-on-5. Thrun is still a young player who will benefit from a far superior lineup that’s positioned — at least theoretically, with the Florida Panthers in a different tier — to win immediately. Even if Thrun’s a true NHL No. 7-8 defenceman, he has more immediate value to the Leafs than Reaves, who did not appear in any games after March 2.
Reaves was well-liked by his teammates and he provided some requisite toughness at times for the Maple Leafs, but ultimately, he still graded out as one of the worst players in the league, both by conventional metrics and the charts. Toronto recoups some cap space in a 1-for-1 trade as well, which continues to be of paramount importance as general manager Brad Treliving remains in pursuit of a top-six forward. After the Reaves-Thrun trade, the Maple Leafs are operating with $5.33 million in cap space via PuckPedia. And this trade is essentially about the Leafs clearing cap space. Reaves has played 912 career games, and it’ll afford him a chance of approaching the 1,000-game milestone with a young Sharks team that is certainly still building towards a very bright future.
For further analysis on the trade, The Leafs Nation’s Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill provided an instant reaction to the deal Thursday evening:
Maple Leafs grade: B
Sharks grade: C+
All stats from NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick
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When Auston Matthews was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016, it was a development that was expected to change the franchise’s fortunes. Matthews lived up to the preposterous hype and emerged as one of the best goal-scorers on the planet, winning the Hart Trophy in 2022, while capturing three Rocket Richard Trophies.
Matthews took over the Maple Leafs’ captaincy for the 2024-25 season, where the team was eliminated in seven games against the Florida Panthers. He’s lived up to the hype, but it’s worth revisiting where Matthews stands among the 2016 class, nine years removed from walking up to the podium.
Matthews is the headliner of a deep group
Toronto made the correct decision with the first overall pick and Matthews is the clear headliner of the class. Matthews leads all players with 401 goals and 727 points, and he’s made the greatest individual impact thus far. There are several great players in this cohort, including Matthew Tkachuk, while Charlie McAvoy and Adam Fox are truly elite defencemen. Clayton Keller and Tage Thompson are bona fide star forwards, while Brandon Hagel’s elite two-way impact and improved scoring touch is helping him ascend through the class rankings. Make no mistake about it though, Matthews’ individual output far exceeds anyone else in the class. There is one challenger to his 1A status, however.
Matthew Tkachuk is the lone real challenger to Matthews’ best in class status
It depends on what you value, but Matthew Tkachuk is the lone player in the class that can raise a claim for the No. 1 status. Tkachuk has won back-to-back Stanley Cups, while the Florida Panthers are well-positioned to three-peat next year. The 27-year-old has played the most games out of player in the class, with 642 contests under his belt, while Matthews ranks second with 629 games. Tkachuk has been a finalist for the Hart Trophy, he is arguably one of the most clutch players in the NHL as he raises his game during the postseason, If you’re evaluating for talent alone, then Matthews is the clear winner, but Tkachuk’s superior postseason resume at least invites an argument.
How Matthews stacks up
Matthews ranks first in goals and points, while ranking second in games played and assists. He’s the most gifted individual player in the class and he’s far superior to Patrik Laine, who many scouts positioned as a true challenger for the top pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. There is a real degree of separation between Matthews, Tkachuk and the rest of the group at this point of their careers.
Conclusion
It’s a compelling exercise and Tkachuk’s superior postseason resume is compelling but Matthews is a franchise-defining player for the Maple Leafs, and he’s the unquestioned face of the organization after Mitch Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. Tkachuk can show off his two rings and counting, and Matthews will need at least one Stanley Cup to vault him into the all-time discussions. Matthews is the best player in the class, while firmly in the prime of his career.
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Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong is hopeful that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matias Maccelli can find his game again because he feels the forward is a good person.
The two teams connected on a trade on June 30th that sent the forward to Toronto and a conditional third-round pick going the other way. The conditions on the pick are that it improves to a second if Maccelli reaches 51 points and the Leafs reach the playoffs in the 2025-26 season.
While Armstrong may want to see Maccelli rebound to get that future second-round pick, he is also rooting for Maccelli the person to succeed because he feels the 24-year-old is a good man. He appeared on Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Monday to discuss how the trade came together.
“I’ve always viewed being at GM with your players as a partnership. I’ve always had pretty good relationships with the players,” he said. “ When there’s not a fit for us in our club, we’re gonna do what’s best for our club. But at the same time, if we can help the player out and move him to a good place for him, too, and that’s what happened in this particular deal. It’s a good deal for Utah, it’s a great deal for the Leafs, and it’s gonna be good for the player. He is gonna go in and he’s gonna play around some high-end skilled players and it’s gonna benefit the Leafs and it’s gonna benefit him.”
Armstrong said that part of why Maccelli fell out of favour with the Mammoth was due to a combination of factors. Utah’s young crop of players which includes Logan Cooley, Dylan Gunther, and Barrett Hayton, were eating up more ice time while Maccelli was never able to find his footing after a slow start to the season. The growing internal competition is a sign that the Mammoth are on the rise and looking to take the next step, hence why they had to sacrifice a promising young player in Maccelli to clear room for others. But that doesn’t mean Armstrong isn’t going to miss what the forward brought to the fold.
“ He’s a high-end playmaker. That’s what he is. He’s an opportunist, he creates a lot of odd-man rushes you’re gonna love,” he said. “ He’s got some sweet play makings, and he is getting a lot of no-look stuff going on. When he is on, he can light it up. He’s certainly a dynamic player at times. I think he’ll have to find his synergy with the players around him, but I think he’ll do that. I think he’ll be a good fit for Toronto.”
GM Brad Treliving have been busy making some moves throughout the offseason beyond the Maccelli trade, including the sign-and-trade of Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights and Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks for Henry Thrun. There is still some business to attend to, with the big one being the acquisition of a top-six forward.
At the time of filing, that trade has yet to materialize, and it’s unclear if it will by the time training camp rolls around in about two months from now. While it seems that nothing of note is going on in the hockey world, Armstrong said that GMs like himself and Treliving still have a lot to do over the summer.
“ It is pretty busy. It’s not like people would think that you’re at the cottage in the Muskoka somewhere with your feet up on the dock and when your dog’s sitting beside you,” he said. “The phone’s ringing, you’re hiring people. Staffs nowadays, they’re huge in the National Hockey League, so you’re rehiring. You’re constantly having strategy to make sure you get the best staff known to mankind around you. And people are leaving and coming. The world of NHL analytics are getting fine-tuned, everything’s getting better. You better be vested in the summer to get better as an organization; the NHL doesn’t sleep, it’s 24/7.”
You can watch the full interview with Armstrong down below:
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Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.
NHL dot com has released their top 10 forwards under-25 and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies has cracked the list, landing at number 8.
Knies, 22, just signed a six-year extension to stay with the Maple Leafs after setting career highs in goals (29) and assists (29) for 58 points in 78 games last season. He was second on the team in hits by forwards and third overall, with 182 in 78 games. He was also third on the team in even strength goal. He had another successful playoff run, as well, with five goals and eight points in 13 games against the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers.
Rounding out the top three were Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle, New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, and Minnesota Wild forward Matthew Boldy, who finished first, second, and third on the list, respectively. Knies placed ahead of Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, who finished ninth, and Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov, who finished tenth.
With the offseason departure of Mitch Marner for the Vegas Golden Knights, Knies is going to have a massive opportunity to further cement himself as part of the core. His style of play lines up with the type of play the Maple Leafs are looking to implement into their game and day-to-day culture, and considering he’s almost sniffing the 60-point mark only two years into his career, the Leafs could have a real unicorn type of player on their hands here. The type of player reminiscent of those such as Tom Wilson, Matthew Tkachuk, essentially any power forward that can produce offence at an elite level.
Knies is on the hook with the Maple Leafs for $7.75 million annually until after the 2030-31 season.
PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST
Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.
