Thornton linked to Leafs for offseason move

In case you missed it Monday, the NHL trade deadline came and went and Jumbo Joe Thornton was not shipped off to a contending team like most fans and analysts speculated and had hoped.

Thornton, of course, won’t have a chance to raise the Stanley Cup this season as the San Jose Sharks are nowhere near a playoff spot. He’s an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason and, being 40 years old, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be back next season. In effect, this could be it for Jumbo Joe. If indeed he’s done, he’ll have put together one of the best careers by a player to have never won the Stanley Cup. It’s a shame… a damn shame.

But here’s the thing… Jumbo could have been traded yesterday if it weren’t for Sharks GM Doug Wilson. Check out these comments from Thornton himself expressing how disappointed he is that Wilson couldn’t pull the trigger on a trade.

Check it out:

“It would have been nice to at least have a chance. I wanted a shot, you know? Believe it or not. I’ve been hunting this thing down for 22 years, so I wanted another shot at it…. Back to the grind, and that’s how it is.”

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So… what happened? Why wasn’t Jumbo shipped out?

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman pulls back the curtain a bit in his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet and shares some details concerning Thornton’s availability on the trade market.

Check it out:

Sharks GM Doug Wilson made it clear that interested parties had to be legit Stanley Cup contenders to make the pitch. I heard Boston never went far down the road, and the Dallas interest wasn’t huge. Thornton’s hilarious personality obscures his burning pride/desire, but don’t kid yourself — it’s there.

San Jose’s plan is to return to contention in 2020-21, and the big question is if Jumbo Joe believes the Sharks can do it. If he doesn’t, he’s going to have to consider breaking his comfort zone. Patrick Marleau ’s speed makes him an easier fit for a mid-season switch. Thornton’s gifts — his intelligence and skill — are harder to translate at this time of year, but I do think there are teams who would be willing to make it work if he started the season with them.

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So… what happens next season? Is Thornton done? Does he re-up with the Sharks hoping that this past season was just a one-off? Or does he go elsewhere? 

More from Friedman:

If Thornton is not sold on the Sharks, and he’s willing to seek out new life (boldly go where no one has gone before), my prediction is Toronto will be a factor. I can’t confirm this, but I believe the Maple Leafs considered adding him now. Two things stopped it: 1) their decision not to make short-term fixes after the Carolina loss, and 2) are they really a legit contender if they have to go through Boston or Tampa Bay or both? When GM Kyle Dubas said he wanted to see how his group would respond to its tough stretch, he meant it. Thornton would have eased the tension right now, but the organization wants to see how everyone top to bottom reacts and performs. Next season is a different story.

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Jumbo Joe Thornton as the new 4th line center for the Toronto Maple Leafs? 

It’s not as crazy as it sounds:

Thornton’s made it clear he will make his salary fit. He’s a left-hand shot who could feed  Auston Matthews / John Tavares from his strong side. (They have spent plenty of time with Zach Hyman and  William Nylander on their weak sides, although both have had strong seasons.) There’s the Greyhound connection. People forget, too, that Thornton’s been through the ringer. The first playoff series I covered for *Hockey Night in Canada* was Boston/Montreal 2004, where the Canadiens came back from 3–1 down to win. Thornton came under huge criticism with articles demanding he be stripped of his captaincy. He survived and will walk into the Hall of Fame. Good message for Toronto’s young core. Anyway, something to chew on.

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Stay tuned, Leafs fans. This could be an interesting offseason.