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Could AHL Standout Defenseman and Calder Cup Winner Push For Jets Roster Spot?
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- Could AHL Standout Defenseman and Calder Cup Winner Push For Jets Roster Spot?
One of the quieter moves general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff made for the Winnipeg Jets this offseason came on July 2nd, when the club signed depth defenseman Henry Thrun to a one-year, two-way deal with an $850,000 annual cap hit.
The 25-year-old, stay-at-home defenseman was originally a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks back in 2019, 101st overall, before eventually being dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer in a trade that sent Ryan Reaves to San Jose.
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Thrun came off arguably his best season yet in 2025-26, spending most of the year with the AHL's Toronto Marlies after not being tendered a qualifying offer by Toronto following the year.
The Southborough, Massachusetts native appeared in just four games with the Maple Leafs, but it was his work with the Marlies that stood out. He posted five goals and 18 assists for 23 points in 55 regular-season games, and his biggest impact came once the calendar turned to the postseason.
Thrun was a steady presence on a Marlies team that caught fire in the playoffs, adding two goals and seven assists for nine points across 24 postseason games as Toronto rolled to a Calder Cup.
For his NHL career, Thrun has appeared in 123 games between the Sharks and Maple Leafs, recording five goals and 25 points as a dependable defender, who doesn't try to do too much with the puck.
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Thrun will look to carry that momentum into a productive summer with an eye toward earning NHL minutes in Winnipeg next season. It won't be an easy path, as the Jets also added Mario Ferraro to the left side of their blue line this offseason, but Thrun profiles as exactly the kind of steady, reliable presence Winnipeg could lean on as an injury replacement or seventh defenseman if called upon.
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