Ryan Reaves spoke about his trade to the San Jose Sharks on the Leafs Morning Take podcast. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Reaves to San Jose for defenseman Henry Thrun. The Sharks acquired the veteran enforcer because they needed to reach the salary cap floor.Days before the trade, Reaves defended Mitch Marner’s decision to leave Toronto during his appearance on the Cam and Strick podcast."Mitchie earned the right to go wherever he wants. He's dedicated a lot of his career to Toronto," Reaves said, via NHL.com. " (Marner was) A hometown guy. He's poured everything he had into it. Sometimes it's just time to move on."Reaves' subsequent move to the Sharks sparked speculation about a connection between his statement and his trade. However, he shut down speculations concerning his trade.Speaking on Thursday, Reaves said the deal had nothing to do with his recent podcast comments."Yeah, that had nothing to do with that," Reaves said.Reaves joined the Maple Leafs in 2023 on a three-year contract. He was expected to bring toughness to the fourth line. But injuries and roster changes limited his playing time. He was waived in 2025 and sent to the AHL. Reaves said it was tough, but he made the most of it."You know, it was tough," Reaves said, via Sportsnet. "I hadn’t played in the AHL for 15 years now. It’s not somewhere I want to go back to, but that’s the nature of the business ... I’d rather go play and be part of something than just kind of be sitting in limbo and doing nothing."Reaves' move gives him a better chance to be on the ice again. He is happy about his move to San Jose as it's closer to his home in Las Vegas.Mike Grier welcomes Ryan Reaves to San JoseSharks general manager Mike Grier said Ryan Reaves will bring energy and toughness to the young San Jose team."Excited to welcome Ryan (Reaves) to the (Sharks) organization," Grier said, via NHL.com. "(Revo) will bring energy, personality, physical play, and toughness to our group. He has been a part of many winning teams, and I witnessed (him) first-hand ... when I was with the Rangers.”Grier liked how Reaves helped teammates on and off the ice during their time with the Rangers. Reaves brings life to practices and gives fighting tips when needed.