Joe Thornton “Wanted A Shot” At Stanley Cup This Season
One of the most interesting names to watch going into the trade deadline was Joe Thornton, who rumors had swirled around for weeks during the San Jose Sharks’ losing season. The idea of Thornton going to a contender—perhaps even the Boston Bruins—had fans around the hockey world salivating. Thornton is one of the best players in the history of the NHL without a Stanley Cup championship, with more than 1,600 games played and 1,500 points.
Unfortunately, the deadline came and went without a new address for the future Hall of Fame center. The 40-year old will finish the year with the Sharks, adding games and points onto his resume but no more playoff appearances. That obviously disappointed Thornton, who told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic just as much:
As you get older you realize you only have so many shots at this thing, and it would have been nice to have a chance. … I wanted a shot. I’ve been hunting this thing down for 22 years.
Thornton’s longtime teammate, Patrick Marleau, another NHL icon without a championship to his name, got a chance to chase one when he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins. But it didn’t happen for Thornton. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that there was interest in the veteran center from three or four teams, but not the real “elite Cup contending teams” that Thornton would have waived his no-movement clause for. LeBrun clarifies, by saying that he doesn’t believe the Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights or Colorado Avalanche showed any interest.
Thornton is currently on a one-year deal with the Sharks, the third such contract he has signed with the team. This time he only carries a $2MM cap hit though, making him much easier to fit into a team’s finances.
Still, it’s hard to know exactly what you would be getting. Thornton has just four goals on the season in 62 games, and while his assist totals are still strong—23 on the year—there might just not be enough left to really intrigue those top teams.
Trade Rumors: Thornton, Gustafsson, Ennis, Koivu
San Jose Sharks veteran center Joe Thornton has been quite tight-lipped about whether he has any interest in being traded to a contender. However, with just two days left, Thornton admitted to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) that he is tempted to join a contending team, although the 40-year-old forward also made it clear in the interview that his career is not over yet.
“You know, it is,” Thornton said, when asked whether he is tempted to go to a contender. “But it’s not like I feel like this is my last year. I feel like I’m healthy, I feel like I still have a lot in the tank left. It’s not like a last-hurrah-type thing. I feel good, and my mind feels great. It’s not like, ‘Oh, this is going to be my last shot at it.’ So, that’s where my mind is at right now.”
That could indicated another scenario if Thornton prefers to remain in San Jose to end his career. The team could still trade the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent to a contender before the deadline, allowing him to chase a Stanley Cup with the possibility the Sharks might be able to re-sign him in the offseason once again.
“There’s lots of possibilities,” he said. “That could be an option. There’s lots to play with. It is what it is, and we’ll see what happens. I’m a Shark now, and I love being a Shark.”
- Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports that while there is no deal in place, the Vegas Golden Knights are the clear front-runners to adding Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson before the trade deadline. However, the scribe also notes that Chicago fans shouldn’t get too excited as it is not expected to be a big package. The 27-year-old Gustafsson, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, had a career year in 2018-19, scoring 17 goals and 60 points, but has struggled with the Blackhawks this year as he has just six goals and 26 points.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Ottawa Senators are expected to hold out forward Tyler Ennis from Saturday’s game as the team is expected to move him before the trade deadline and want to protect the veteran from possible injury. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Ennis is a candidate to be traded to the Edmonton Oilers, although there are several teams still rumored to be interested in acquiring him. Ennis could be an interesting trade chip. The 30-year-old has 14 goals and 33 points, his best season since the 2014-15 season. TSN’s Darren Dreger also notes that the Senators are holding out forward Vladislav Namestnikov as well.
- Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu has been on a few lists as a potential trade candidate recently. However, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that the center has informed general manager Bill Guerin that he will be staying with the Wild for the remainder of the season. Koivu has a no-movement clause as he wraps up his two-year, $11MM contract this season and has made it clear to management that he has no interest in leaving the team. The 36-year-old has struggled this season, posting just two goals and 15 points through 46 games. He has played his entire career in Minnesota, a total of 1,019 games.
Pacific Notes: Hall, Thornton, Ryan
With the Coyotes struggling lately, some have wondered if GM John Chayka might ultimately consider flipping Taylor Hall, his big acquisition from December. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti asked the winger if he’d be interested in such a move but Hall indicated that his desire is to stay with Arizona.
Of course, the bigger question at play here will be his willingness to stay with the Coyotes on a long-term basis. The 28-year-old is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is not interested in discussing a possible contract extension until after the season. Hall came into the season as someone that was likely to push for an AAV in the $10MM range but a quieter start with New Jersey as well as his lower output with Arizona (21 points in 26 games) may very well take that price tag off the table.
More from the Pacific:
- Sharks center Joe Thornton is one of the more intriguing players heading into the trade deadline. While he’s having a quiet season with 24 points in 58 games, he could still help some contenders if he’s willing to waive his no-move clause to leave San Jose. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch suggests that the 40-year-old would only do so if he was going to a contender and suggested Boston and Colorado as possible landing spots. Of course, Thornton started his career with Boston before being dealt to San Jose back in 2005-06 where he has played ever since.
- The Flames announced that they’ve transferred center Derek Ryan to injured reserve retroactive to February 13th. He missed Saturday’s game due to illness and it was enough to hold him out of the lineup today against Anaheim. Glenn Gawdin was recalled from AHL Stockton to take his place on the roster. With Calgary now idle until Friday, Ryan will be eligible to be activated for that one as he’ll have missed the required seven days.
Sharks Notes: Karlsson, Goodrow, Thornton, Hawryluk
Despite the devastating news that star defenseman Erik Karlsson will miss the rest of the season Saturday with a broken thumb, there may be a silver lining when looking at the injury.
One small consolation is that by placing Karlsson on long-term injured reserve, it will free up $11.5MM in salary, which could give the team some more flexibility in taking on salary at the trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required). The team currently has just $5.7MM of cap space it could use at the trade deadline, meaning it would be unable to take back any team’s salary which could increase their return in trades. Now with that $11.5MM available to use, San Jose may be able to benefit even more at the trade deadline.
Another concern initially came when Karlsson fell awkwardly over Joe Thornton as many believed he had re-injured his surgically repaired groin injury, which he dealt with for much of last season. The 29-year-old hasn’t been the same since undergoing offseason surgery and hasn’t been nearly as mobile this year. Kurz added in a separate tweet that Karlsson will have his thumb surgery Monday in Los Angeles, by Dr. Steven Shin, who operated on NBA’s Stephen Curry and the NFL’s Drew Brees.
- With the “For Sale” sign up and visible, there are many teams who have inquired about Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow, who is having a career season with eight goals, 24 points and 80 penalty minutes. The 26-year-old is very attractive to capped-out teams as he carries just a $925K salary and has one more year on his current contract before he hits unrestricted free agency in 2021. However, the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka writes that there has been no indication from the Sharks that they would be willing to move Goodrow, who has become a very versatile piece on the team, who can play any position, play on the penalty kill, and has received a signficant upgrade in minutes since Tomas Hertl went down with a season-ending injury. The team fully expects him to be a part of their future.
- Longtime Shark Thornton has also been in trade rumors recently, but has a no-movement clause, which means that if Thornton is traded, it will be at his request. However, rumors still suggest that he might be a good fit with the Boston Bruins, for a reunion with the team that originally drafted him and which he played for eight seasons before being traded to the Sharks. Another recent team to come up in rumors is the Colorado Avalanche, where he might be a perfect addition, according to ColoradoHockeyNow’s Adrian Dater. Thornton would serve as a good short-term replacement for Nazem Kadri, who is out weeks with a lower-body injury. He also might be a better candidate to play in a bottom-six role over Tyson Jost, who has struggled mightily recently, going 30 straight games without a goal.
- Kurz also notes that the Sharks could be interested in forward Jayce Hawryluk, who was put on waivers today. Hawryluk is well known by head coach Bob Boughner, who coached him in Florida last season. With the team looking for depth on their bottom-six, Hawryluk would make sense.
Snapshots: Dubois, Jets, Sharks
The Columbus Blue Jackets won’t be announcing a contract extension for Pierre-Luc Dubois anytime soon, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Portzline tweets that the two sides were willing to talk during the season, but will “probably” move those negotiations to the summer.
Dubois and the Blue Jackets have bigger fish to fry at the moment as they try to shock every preseason prognosticator by making the playoffs. The team has overcome a ton this season to remain in the Metropolitan Division race and Dubois’ development into a true star has been one of the biggest reasons why. Still just 21, the third-overall pick from 2016 has 17 goals and 42 points in 53 games this season and looks every part the franchise centerman that Jarmo Kekalainen saw in the draft. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, coming off his entry-level deal.
- Though most of the talk coming out of the Winnipeg Jets’ dressing room today revolved around Dustin Byfuglien and his impending departure from the organization, the team also announced some pertinent injury news. Nathan Beaulieu has been activated from injured reserve, while Mathieu Perreault takes his place. Perreault is expected to be out for at least two weeks after being hit by Karson Kuhlman last week.
- While Kevin Kurz of The Athletic writes today (subscription required) that San Jose Sharks defenseman Brendan Dillon “will almost certainly” be dealt before the trade deadline later this month, it is the more veteran subjects of his latest article that will raise some eyebrows. Kurz examines potential landing spots for franchise icons Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, if either of the two decide they want to get another shot at the Stanley Cup this spring. That’s not going to happen in San Jose, with the Sharks compiling a 22-27-4 record through their first 53 games and sitting 13th in the Western Conference.
Trade Deadline Primer: San Jose Sharks
With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the San Jose Sharks.
It couldn’t have been a worse season for the Sharks, who were expecting to be near the top of the Pacific Division, only to find themselves looking old and depthless and sitting near the bottom. The team tried to fix things by firing coach Peter DeBoer, who one month later took a job with the rival Vegas Golden Knights. To make matters worse, the team has lost two of its best forwards to injury, including captain Logan Couture and all-star Tomas Hertl. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Sharks also don’t have their first-round pick, which they sent to Ottawa to acquire Erik Karlsson. Tough year.
Record
22-26-4, sixth in the Pacific Division.
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$2.97MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 49/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2020: SJ 2nd, PHI 3rd, OTT 5th, SJ 5th, PIT 7th, WAS 7th
2021: SJ 1st, SJ 3rd, SJ 4th, SJ 5th, SJ 6th, SJ 7th
Trade Chips
Perhaps the biggest trade chip for San Jose will be defenseman Brenden Dillon. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound blueliner is in the final year of his contract and is expected to hit unrestricted free agency and could demand a significant raise to his $3.27MM cap hit he currently has and is in high demand of teams needing defensive help. Dillon may not provide significant offense, but his physical nature is a plus for teams looking for a top-four d-man. While he has 13 points this season, Dillon also has 58 blocks and more importantly, has 159 hits, which could develop into a career high. Quite a few teams are likely to express interest from them including rival Vegas, where DeBoer might want Dillon to come back and play for him.
The team also has a couple of veteran leaders who could possibly be dealt. Both Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau could be the perfect trade candidates for playoff teams, looking to bring in bottom-six talent at a low price. The 40-year-old Thornton ($2MM AAV) has just two goals this season and is showing his age, but his leadership could be invaluable for the right team. While he does have a no-movement clause, he didn’t reject the idea when asked if he’d be willing to waive that, suggesting he might if the right team comes calling. Marleau might even be the better bargain at the league minimum ($700K) without a no-trade clause. He has 10 goals in 48 games so far.
Five Players To Watch For: G Aaron Dell, D Brenden Dillon, F Melker Karlsson, F Patrick Marleau, F Joe Thornton
Team Needs
1) A First-Round Pick: It’s bad enough that the Sharks could end up giving a top lottery pick (in a good draft) to the Ottawa Senators. However, the team has moved quite a few of their draft picks and are rumored to be on the lookout for a first-round pick to replace the one they traded away. Whether that type of return is possible for what the team is looking to move seems unlikely, however.
2) Young talent: The Sharks hope is to retool quickly with a potential return to the playoffs as quickly as next year, considering the team has six players locked up to expensive long-term contracts for the next four years after this year and that doesn’t include Timo Meier or a new contract for Kevin Labanc. The team seems to lack young players in their prospect pool and even fewer who are ready to step into the lineup, so bringing in some talent that might be able to contribute immediately might be exactly what the team is looking for.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Thornton, Faksa, Heiskanen, Sandin
Joe Thornton has been with the Sharks since the 2005-06 season and in past free agent periods, his focus was solely on staying with San Jose. However, with his team well out of playoff contention, some have wondered if the 40-year-old would be open to waiving his no-move clause to join a contender for the stretch run. Thornton told reporters, including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, that it’s something he has yet to consider:
I really, I need to think about that. I haven’t thought about it at all. I’m just trying to win games here and see how it goes. I’m still optimistic we can make a run at it, I really am.
While Thornton’s numbers have tapered off significantly this season (2-17-19 in 50 games), he should still be coveted by several teams looking to add to their bottom six group of forwards and at this stage, it’s likely only a matter of time before the Sharks start selling. With a $2MM contract (and no bonuses), he’ll be one of the more affordable rental players over the next month if he opts to waive his trade protection.
More from the around the league:
- Dallas is expected to get some help from the infirmary on Monday night. Mike Heika of the Stars’ team website reports (Twitter link) that center Radek Faksa and defenseman Miro Heiskanen are expected to return against Tampa Bay. Faksa has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury while Heiskanen missed their last game before the break due to a concussion.
- The Maple Leafs appear to be set to play defenseman Rasmus Sandin on Monday night despite the pending return of Jake Muzzin, notes Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (via Twitter). That’s noteworthy as in doing so, they will officially burn the first year of his entry-level contract as it will be his tenth NHL game of the season. The next threshold for them to watch for is 40 games on the active roster as that will accrue a year of service time towards unrestricted free agency.
Trade Rumors: Georgiev, Sharks, Canadiens
On Sportsnet’s “Saturday Headlines” segment last night, Elliotte Friedman made it very clear that trade talks are heating up and teams have begun issuing league-wide statements on where they stand ahead of next month’s trade deadline. The top story belongs to the New York Rangers, who have informed their competitors that they are willing to listen to offers for young goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. The team’s stance has changed in just a matter of days since recalling top goalie prospect Igor Shesterkin from the AHL, who proceeded to win his first two starts, including a 46-save performance on Thursday. Shesterkin, though an older prospect at 24, was actually an established superstar in the KHL before coming over this season and looks like the heir apparent to Henrik Lundqvist. Georgiev, still only 23, has performed well in three seasons with the Rangers, but doesn’t project to be the type of player that Shesterkin is, making him expendable. Both Lundqvist and Shesterkin are under contract through next season and the team cannot continuing carrying three goalies that whole time. Additionally, the Rangers have Adam Huska playing well in the AHL in his first pro season, Tyler Wall dominating the NCAA in his senior year at UMass Lowell, and 2018 second-round pick Olof Lindbom waiting in the wings in Sweden. It’s an embarrassment of riches in net for the Rangers’ organization and Georgiev looks like the odd man out.
With that said, New York will not give him away. Friedman reports that the asking price for Georgiev is a young roster forward or a pro-ready forward prospect. The Rangers are looking to add young building blocks up front and feel they can land one young asset by trading away another. Friedman stressed that the Rangers are just listening right now and will wait for a deal to their liking before moving Georgiev. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks are the teams rumored to be most interested in Georgiev, but are they willing to pay the asking price?
- When it comes to the Sharks, the answer may be no. Friedman reports that the Sharks have let it be known that they are not willing to move any core pieces this season. Friedman cites the 2014-15 campaign, when San Jose last missed the playoffs, as management resisted a tear-down in that year as well and ended up going to the Stanley Cup Final the next season. The Sharks have many good pieces in place and believe they can be contenders again in 2020-21, so they will only entertain trade offers for impending free agents this season. Defenseman Brenden Dillon is a name that is very much in the rumor mill, while fellow blue liners Tim Heed and Radim Simek and forward Melker Karlsson will also be for sale. It remains to be seen whether the Sharks would be willing to move future Hall of Famers Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau or backup goalie Aaron Dell. Moving forward, the Sharks will have to address their issues in net, so perhaps the one exception to their rule about only moving rentals this season could be a deal a top prospect for a new goalie, but they could wait until the off-season to make a move.
- Fans of the Montreal Canadiens don’t want their team to wait any longer to make a trade. The Habs are 2-7-1 in their past ten games and currently in 13th in the Eastern Conference, seven points back of a playoff spot with more games played than all but one of the teams ahead of them in the wild card chase. It seems like all hope is lost for this season, but Friedman reports that the team won’t be making a move any time soon. GM Marc Bergevin is being careful with his next steps, especially when his job could be on the line. He has told potential trade partners that he will wait until after the team’s pre-All-Star break meetings to make a move. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are about to play four games in six nights, during which suitors can see more from potential trade chips, but with those players exposed to the risk of potential injury as well. Montreal will have their “bye week” leading up All-Star weekend, giving Bergevin and company plenty of time to discuss their options, but there is no telling how the trade market could change in the meantime. Eventually, the team will make a decision on their direction in the coming weeks, but there is no expectation as to what that might be. Some have speculated that they could play it safe, opting to deal expiring contracts like grinders Nate Thompson, Dale Weise, and Matthew Peca and recent additions Ilya Kovalchuk and Marco Scandella. Others believe that the team is eyeing a complete rebuild and could move Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Drouin, or Jeff Petry or even ask Carey Price and Shea Weber if they would like to move on. Only time will tell, but that time will come a little bit later than some have hoped.
San Jose Sharks Name Logan Couture Captain
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but Logan Couture has been named the next captain of the San Jose Sharks. The team lost Joe Pavelski to free agency and the Dallas Stars this summer, leaving the role vacant. Couture was the obvious choice at this point in his career, though he’ll have a great stable of alternates to lean on. Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, Erik Karlsson and Joe Thornton will all have an “A” on their sweater at times this season. Head coach Peter DeBoer explained the decision:
Since I arrived in San Jose four seasons ago, we have been blessed with a tremendous amount of leadership on our roster. Logan has grown up within that environment and evolved into someone who not only plays his best hockey when it matters the most, but who also leads by example off the ice. He knows what it takes to win and his performance in our recent playoff runs reflects that. Most importantly, Logan has the respect of his teammates and we’re extremely proud to name him as the tenth captain of the San Jose Sharks.
Couture, 30, has developed into one of the most consistent two-way players in the entire league and is coming off a career-high 70 points in 2018-19. While his regular season offense has been excellent—Couture has scored at least 21 goals in every season of his career save one injury-shortened campaign and a 25-game rookie stint—it’s the playoffs where he has made his real impact for the Sharks. A leader every year when the postseason rolls around, Couture has 48 goals and 101 points in 116 career playoff games. His presence was felt all the more when Pavelski went down to multiple injuries this past spring (though they didn’t keep him out long), and it seemed obvious then that Couture would eventually take over as captain.
Among his alternates he’ll have two former captains in Karlsson and Thornton, one of the most impactful defensemen in the league in Burns and link to the next wave of Sharks’ talent in Hertl.
Joe Thornton Re-Signs With San Jose Sharks
The deal is finally official, and Joe Thornton is returning to San Jose. The Sharks have announced that Thornton will be back on a one-year deal, and Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports it will be worth $2MM.
It never was in doubt, but now that it is official there is plenty of time to analyze the Sharks cap situation and see if there is room for another addition before the season begins. The team now projects to have just under $2.7MM in cap space and could potentially add another forward on a relatively inexpensive deal. For months there has been belief that Patrick Marleau would be that cheap forward, but the two sides both explained recently that there is not going to be a reunion for the franchise icon.
Not so when it comes to Thornton however, who returns for his 22nd NHL season and 15th with San Jose. The 40-year old continues to amaze with his incredible playmaking ability and is coming off a 51-point season (in just 73 games) in 2018-19. Thornton now has 1,478 points in his long illustrious career and could potentially pass Paul Coffey for 13th all-time with a strong season. It seems very likely that he will become just the 14th player in league history to amass 1,500 points, and will undoubtedly end up in the Hall of Fame after retirement.
Amazingly, even with all of his success Thornton has still not been able to raise the Stanley Cup during his career. A winner of the Art Ross, Hart Trophy, Olympic, World Cup and World Junior gold, and even a Swiss-league championship during the 2004-05 lockout, there is still one silver chalice that has stayed out of reach. By re-joining the Sharks for one more season he’ll have a good shot at it once again as even without captain Joe Pavelski returning the San Jose roster is still filled with talent.
It’s important to note that the contract does not include any performance bonuses, even though Thornton was eligible for them. That means the Sharks won’t have to worry about any potential overages and can use their remaining cap space as they see fit. If that means a last-second addition before the season begins or a trade deadline acquisition, GM Doug Wilson would have had a plan before committing to Thornton. The veteran forward has been open all summer about how he would return for whatever the Sharks could afford and felt was reasonable, hoping to have another crack at the Cup next spring.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images