Sharks’ Henry Thrun, Jan Rutta Out With Injury Long-Term
The San Jose Sharks are dealing with a pair of injured defenders who could be done for the year per Max Miller of The Hockey News. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky told Miller that veteran Jan Rutta is still weeks away from returning, and hasn’t yet returned to the team’s practices. Warsofsky was a bit less decisive on Henry Thrun, who he dubbed as being just beyond week-to-week. Miller adds that Rutta is at risk of missing the remaining five weeks of the season, while Thrun will continue to fight for a return.
Rutta hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury in San Jose’s January 23rd loss to the Nashville Predators. He’s missed 14 games since – a number that would double should Rutta miss the rest of the year. His season would end on a bad note if he does, with Rutta boasting just eight points, 28 penalty minutes, and a minus-six in 51 games. That, surprisingly, marks the lowest scoring pace of Rutta’s historically uneventful career – narrowly beating out his nine points in 56 games of the 2022-23 season. Rutta split the time between that down year and this one with a small resurgence last season. He recorded 19 points, 38 penalty minutes, and a minus-21 in 69 games of the 2023-24 campaign – the most he’s scored since he managed 20 points in 57 games as an NHL rookie.
Rutta filled a menial bottom-pair role throughout the season. San Jose has turned back to career-long Shark Marc-Édouard Vlasic to fill in Rutta’s role. Vlasic has played in nine games in relief, posting no scoring, a minus-eight, and two shots on net. He’s averaged 16 minutes of ice time each night across that stand.
But the Sharks haven’t wanted to tap into their defense depth behind Vlasic, leaving Thrun’s vacancy in the top-four a bit tougher to fill. He has worked his way into more-and-more ice time this season, ultimately rivaling upwards of 24 minutes of ice time in one of his most recent games. Thrun’s new absence comes after he reaggravated the upper-body injury that held him out for a week-and-a-half in early March. He’ll be set to miss even more time, after already missing five games due to the injury.
San Jose has recalled career minor-leaguer Jimmy Schuldt to step into the lineup with Thrun out. Schuldt has scored 18 points in 54 AHL games this season. He’s in his first season in the Sharks organization after spending the last two years with the Seattle Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Schuldt tallied 56 points in 139 games with the Firebirds. He’s tagged into two NHL games over the course of his seven-year pro career – one just days after signing his first pro deal with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018-19, and one earlier this season with San Jose. He has one assist in the pair of outings. The Sharks could need an extended fill-in for Thrun, which could pave the way for Schuldt to find his first NHL goal.
Sharks Notes: Thrun, Giles, Gregor, Goaltenders
The Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated defenseman Henry Thrun off injured reserve. He had missed the last week and a half after suffering an upper-body injury late last month against Montreal. The 23-year-old is in his first full NHL season and has played in 51 games with San Jose thus far, picking up a goal and nine assists while averaging just under 17 minutes a night, a full three minutes a night below his ATOI from last season after he was brought up from the Barracuda. However, with Jake Walman now in Edmonton, Thrun should be in line for a bigger role with San Jose down the stretch.
More from San Jose:
- The Sharks will get a look at one of their newcomers quickly as in the same announcement as Thrun’s, the team noted that forward Patrick Giles was recalled from the Barracuda. Acquired earlier this week from Florida in the Vitek Vanecek deal, the 25-year-old played in nine games with the Panthers this season but has spent most of the year in the minors. In 39 contests on the farm with AHL Charlotte, he has five goals and two assists.
- It would appear that part of the reason for Giles’ recall is the uncertainty with Noah Gregor’s availability, suggests Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). Gregor has to go through the immigration process before he’s cleared to play, a process that can sometimes take several days to get through. Gregor, acquired from Ottawa in a literal last-minute deal before the deadline, will be entering his second stint with the Sharks and his availability for Saturday’s game against the Islanders is in question.
- While San Jose did plenty of selling, they did try to make one small buyer move at the deadline. Speaking with reporters including Max Miller of The Hockey News (Twitter link), GM Mike Grier indicated that he tried to acquire a second goaltender to allow Georgi Romanov to remain in the minors but that the price to do so was too high. Instead, Romanov, who has just two career NHL appearances, will serve as Alexandar Georgiev’s backup with top prospect Yaroslav Askarov out due to a lower-body injury.
San Jose Sharks Place Henry Thrun On IR, Recall Jimmy Schuldt
The San Jose Sharks needed some defensive depth after losing their new top-pairing defenseman to injury. The Sharks announced they’ve placed Henry Thrun on injured reserve and have recalled Jimmy Schuldt from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, in a corresponding roster move.
Thrust into a top-pairing role since San Jose traded Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars on February 1st, Thrun left the Sharks’ February 27th game against the Montreal Canadiens in the third period due to an upper-body injury. He finished that contest with a -2 rating in 12:13 of ice time.
The Southborough, MA native is on par with his production from last season, scoring one goal and nine assists through 51 games compared to a three-goal, eight-assist performance in the same number of contests last year. Practically matching last year’s production, it’s a notable change in contribution, given Thrun’s average ice time has dropped by approximately three minutes.
Despite missing the team’s contest on Saturday, Thrun’s recovery timeline is only considered day-to-day. San Jose likely made the IR placement retroactive to February 27th, meaning Thrun is eligible to return on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche. Since the Sharks are on an Atlantic Division road trip until that time, Schuldt gives the team a seventh defenseman in case of another injury.
It’s unlikely Schuldt will play during the team’s back-to-back against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, but it would mark his first NHL contest since the 2018-19 season and the second game of his career. The St. Cloud State University product has spent the last six years in the American Hockey League, split between the Chicago Wolves, Henderson Silver Knights, Rochester Americans, Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Barracuda, scoring 34 goals and 125 points in 343 games with 218 PIMs.
Pacific Notes: Flames, Thrun, Gibson
The Calgary Flames have defined the last two Trade Deadlines by selling a suite of impactful veterans, but they’re set up to take much more of a back seat this year. General manager Craig Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that their focus continues to be adding young players to round out their existing core – not to bring in any major additions. Conroy went on to add that the Flames would be interested in adding a left-shot defender, but that any deal would need to make sense for the club.
Calgary won’t have a ton of trade chips to move at the deadline, with veterans Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson, and MacKenzie Weegar all on the untouchables list. Conroy told Francis that their lack of assets has limited the calls the Flames are receiving – but that the market is also quieter than in years past. He went on to praise the efforts of players like Joel Hanley, Ilya Solovyov, and Jake Bean – who would stand in direct competition of any defenders acquired via trade.
The expressed interest could connect Calgary to a scant defender market at the deadline. Vancouver’s Carson Soucy, San Jose’s Mario Ferraro, and Pittsburgh’s Matt Grzelcyk headline a market full of middling left-defenders. The market price has already been set, after New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Jimmy Vesey in exchange for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, and two draft picks.
Other notes from out West:
- Speaking of left-defense, the San Jose Sharks will be without youngster Henry Thrun in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Thrun has one goal and 10 points in 51 games this season – one fewer than he scored in just as many games last year. The former Harvard Crimson captain is still very early in his career, but has improved his standing in San Jose’s lineup seemingly every night. He played a career-high 24 minutes in San Jose’s Monday loss to the Winnipeg Jets, and averaged 17 minutes per night on the year. San Jose will turn Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jack Thompson – who have been exchanging minutes of their own – to fill in for Thrun’s absence.
- Netminder John Gibson will draw back in for the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday per Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Gibson has missed Anaheim’s last three games after sustaining an upper-body injury on February 22nd. The Ducks recalled Oscar Dansk to serve as the backup behind Lukas Dostal in Gibson’s absence. Dansk has posted an .886 save percentage and 10-10-3 record in 27 AHL games this season. He’s been reassigned to the minor leagues per Mathieu Sheridan of The Hockey News. Meanwhile Gibson will return to platooning in the starter’s role, looking to build on his .916 save percentage and 9-9-2 record amid a resurging season.
Sharks’ Nikolai Kovalenko To Return, Henry Thrun Questionable
The San Jose Sharks will have to shake up their lineup a bit in tonight’s matchup against the Nashville Predators. Forward Nikolai Kovalenko is expected to return from injury, while defenseman Henry Thrun is questionable to play due to a lower-body injury (per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now). Peng adds that if Thrun is unavailable, veteran Marc-Edouard Vlasic will step back into the lineup. Vlasic was held out of San Jose’s Monday night game due to illness.
With this news, Kovalenko will return to the lineup after missing San Jose’s last six games with an upper-body injury. The Russian rookie has been an interesting addition for the Sharks, who acquired him in the December trade that sent goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche. Kovalenko has recorded six points, five blocked shots, 26 hits, and no penalties in 12 games with the Sharks since the move, bringing his season totals up to 14 points in 40 games. He’s managed those totals while serving in a third-line role, with limited special teams use. That depth assignment should make reincorporating Kovalenko a seamless process. He’s expected to step in for Carl Grundström, who only has one point in his last 15 games.
Thrun played yesterday against Boston, logging 15:51 of ice time in the Sharks 6-3 loss. The 23-year-old has eight assists in 40 games this year and has posted 33 hits and 44 blocked shots while averaging 16:56 of ice time per game. The Southborough, Massachusetts native signed a two-year $2MM extension with the Sharks last July and has been a regular for most of the season, other than a handful of healthy scratches.
PHR’s Josh Cybulski contributed to this article.
San Jose Sharks Sign Henry Thrun
The San Jose Sharks have shored up the left side of their defense as the team announced they have signed defenseman Henry Thrun to a two-year, $2MM contract. The deal will keep the young defenseman in San Jose for the next two years after the team acquired him towards the end of the 2022-23 NHL season.
General manager of the Sharks, Mike Grier, sang high praises for Thrun by saying, “Henry has been a reliable addition to our defense corps since he joined the organization. We are encouraged by his development since he came to San Jose and look forward to seeing him continue to grow his game with our club“.
San Jose acquired Thrun in February of 2023 from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft. Thrun was selected with the 101st overall pick by the Ducks organization in the 2019 NHL Draft but may have indicated he was unwilling to sign with Anaheim.
The Southborough, MA native spent three years with Harvard University in the NCAA and was named team captain ahead of the 2022-23 season. In his last two years with the Crimson, Thrun scored 14 goals and 63 points in 68 games before eventually signing his entry-level deal with the Sharks after his junior campaign.
In his first full season in San Jose, Thrun scored three goals and 11 points in 51 games while posting a -22 rating. He held an expected +/- of -16 according to HockeyReference which indicates he was disadvantaged by playing in a poor Sharks defense. The young defenseman finished tied for eighth on the team in blocked shots in limited action with 71.
Now that San Jose has decided to keep defenseman Mario Ferraro after some trade chatter and has added to the left side of their defense with the offseason acquisition of Jake Walman, Thrun should slot in on the team’s bottom pairing. Being one of the better puck movers on the team’s blue line, Thrun should also slot in one of the team’s two powerplay units.
San Jose Sharks Activate Henry Thrun, Place Logan Couture On IR
Missing the last six games due to a shoulder injury, San Jose Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun was officially activated off injury reserve by the team after he successfully took part in warm-ups before this afternoon’s game. In a corresponding move, the team has placed captain Logan Couture on injured reserve for the second time this season.
Not much of an offensive weapon on the blue line, Thrun has played adequately in his first full season with the Sharks. Only playing on a unit with veteran defenseman Jan Rutta, the two have combined for 2.19 Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes according to MoneyPuck, the second-best mark on the team.
Now activated off of injured reserve, Thrun joins eight more defensemen on the active roster for San Jose, a team that has had a difficult time maintaining any sort of health over the regular season. In a position to give multiple different players their first shot in the NHL, the team has awarded Thrun’s efforts with nearly 20 minutes of ice time per night.
On the opposite side of the transaction, Couture has been out of the lineup since January 31st after reaggravating the groin injury that prohibited him from playing in the first 45 games of the season. Being one of the few offensive talents on the Sharks’ roster, Couture was only able to manage one assist in six games upon his return.
Snapshots: Newpower, Husso, Amadio, Emberson, Thrun
The Detroit Red Wings have recalled defenseman Wyatt Newpower and goaltender Ville Husso. This marks the first recall of Newpower’s career, while Husso is returning from a conditioning stint in the minor leagues.
While Husso sat out on Saturday, he is poised to make his first appearance in the lineup since December 18th, when he suffered a knee injury 17 minutes into Detroit’s eventual 3-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Husso appeared in 18 games before his injury, recording nine wins and a .893 save percentage. It’s a slight step down from the .896 save percentage he posted in 56 games last season – his first with the Red Wings. He may face significant challenges regaining the team’s starting role, with Alex Lyon posting 12 wins and a .923 save percentage in 19 games this year. That includes the 30-save shutout Lyon posted in his last game.
Newpower has appeared in 20 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins this season, recording six points, 39 penalty minutes, and a +7. He’s in his third season with Grand Rapids and his fourth professional season. His professional career kicked off with the Cleveland Monsters in the 2020-21 season, after four seasons at the University of Connecticut, where he totaled 114 games and 47 points.
Other notes from around the league:
- Vegas Golden Knights forward Michael Amadio made his return from injury on Saturday, getting activated off injured reserve before the matchup with the Detroit Red Wings. Amadio has appeared in 42 games with Vegas this season, scoring six goals and 17 points. The campaign has brought Amadio’s career totals to 338 games and 102 points.
- The San Jose Sharks have activated defenseman Ty Emberson off of injured reserve, moving counterpart Henry Thrun to IR. Emberson has played in 21 games this season, just a few shy of officially marking it as his rookie season. He has seven points on the year, tied for third among the team’s defenders. Fellow rookie Thrun has yet to pass Emberson’s scoring totals, netting just three points through 23 games of his own this season.
Pacific Notes: Kraken, Greer, Thrun
The Seattle Kraken have activated Matthew Beniers off of injured reserve. The former second-overall pick is expected to make his return to the Kraken lineup on Friday, after missing the team’s last five games. Jaden Schwartz and Eeli Tolvanen are expected to be game-time decisions, per Mike Benton of Kraken Audio Network.
Getting this trio of players back will be substantial for Seattle, as each ranks inside the team’s top seven scorers. Tolvanen leads the pack with 12 goals and 29 points through 47 games, while Schwartz has managed 20 points, split evenly, in 31 games, and Beniers has 19 points in 42. The former Calder Trophy-winning Beniers was in a bit of a lull before his injury, with just one goal through his last seven games. He’ll look to catch up to Tolvanen and Schwartz in the scoring column with a return against the St. Louis Blues on Friday.
Other notes from the Pacific Division:
- The Calgary Flames are not yet sure if A.J. Greer will require surgery after his ankle went awkwardly into the boards in the team’s Thursday night game. The forward is expected to miss, “considerable time”, though, per Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. Francis speculated that Greer’s injury could lead to Clark Bishop getting recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, though former first-round pick Jakob Pelletier is making his AHL season debut this weekend and could also be considered for a recall soon.
- San Jose Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun will be out until after the All-Star Break, per team reporter Curtis Pashelka. The 22-year-old is working his way back from a shoulder injury, with Pashelka adding that nothing seemed structurally wrong, insinuating that Thrun might have dodged the worst outcome. With Thrun out, San Jose will give top defensive prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin his first NHL game. Mukhamadullin has managed 26 points in 39 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda this season.
Sharks Reassign Henry Thrun
Dec. 11: The Sharks reassigned Thrun to AHL San Jose on Monday, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports. Thrun logged a -1 rating, two penalty minutes and two shots on goal in 16:16 of ice time against the Golden Knights in last night’s shootout loss.
Dec. 9: One of San Jose’s top defensive prospects is set to get another look at the NHL level as the Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled blueliner Henry Thrun from AHL San Jose.
The 22-year-old was originally drafted by Anaheim but after he indicated to them that he wouldn’t sign with them, the Ducks then turned around and traded Thrun’s rights to San Jose. He quickly signed with his season at Harvard having ended and got into eight games down the stretch where he didn’t look out of place, notching two assists while logging just shy of 20 minutes a night.
That gave Thrun seemingly an inside edge on a roster spot going into training camp and while he did open up the season with the Sharks, it was short-lived as he was sent down a week into the season despite picking up a pair of assists in his two appearances. Since then, he has been with the Barracuda where he has played in 18 games, collecting a goal with five helpers.
With the recall, San Jose now has a full 23-player roster. Notably, nine of those are blueliners although Jacob MacDonald has been lining up as a winger more recently. Even so, Thrun might have to bide his time before getting back into the Sharks lineup.