SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks took a step Thursday to alleviate their logjam on the blue line, trading defenseman Henry Thrun to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Ryan Reaves.

The Sharks were expected to trade one of their defenseman after signing Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract and claiming Nick Leddy off waivers from the St. Louis Blues last week. The moves left the Sharks with eight defensemen, including Thrun, on one-way contracts.

Reaves, 38, has been known as one of hockey’s premier tough guys during his time in the NHL, having played 912 games with the Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, and Maple Leafs. In his career, he has 137 points (63 goals, 74 assists) and 1,100 penalty minutes.

Reaves is entering the final year of a three-year, $4.05 million contract that carries a $1.35 million cap hit.

“We’re excited to welcome Ryan to the organization,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He will bring energy, personality, physical play, and toughness to our group. He has been a part of many winning teams, and I witnessed firsthand the positive impact he can bring to a group when I was with the Rangers.”

Thrun is going into the final year of a two-year, $2 million deal. He is set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next year,

Thrun, 24, had mainly been used as a second- or third-pair defenseman by the Sharks since he was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 28, 2023. He appeared in 119 games with San Jose over three seasons and had 25 points and averaged 18:44 in ice time. This past season, Thrun appeared in 60 games, had 12 points and averaged 17:31 of ice time.

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