San Jose Shark defenseman Henry Thrun will play alongside Jake Walman on the No. 1 pair for the foreseeable future.
The 23-year-old is having an up-and-down season. Thrun has shown improvement in some areas but has lacked consistency in his game.
In 48 games this season, Thrun has one goal and nine assists and is a -15. He will be playing on his off-side (the right), which he’s done for some of his NHL career.
Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky told reporters he will implement minor system changes inspired by some of the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“It’s exciting. It’s one of those things where we obviously haven’t had the team success this year. I think switch some things up, embrace it,” Thrun said. “I think it’ll be good for us. I’m sure there’ll be some execution flaws in the first couple of games. I think we have to work through that.”
Thrun signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $1 million. The former Harvard captain knows this time of year is essential for playing well for the team and his next contract.
“First and foremost, you gotta play for the team,” Thrun said. “[The Sharks are a] franchise I want to be a part of. I want to be part of the core and be a piece here for a long time.”
Thrun is starting to understand what it takes to be an NHL player for a long time. He knows his opportunity with Walman can’t go by the wayside.
“There’s a good opportunity, both for myself and a lot of individuals in the room. I want to prove that I can be a top-4 D-man in the league. That is the chance I’m going to get here,” Thrun said. “I’m going to try to run with that and improve. I believe I can do it, and I just have to show it. I think I’ve done a good job when I’ve been in that spot, but you can’t do it for 20 games. You gotta do it for 40 plus.”
The San Jose Sharks begin a seven-game road trip against the Calgary Flames on Sunday. Thrun and Walman will be heavily relied on throughout the trip, which also features top NHL teams like the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs.
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