When former Boston Bruins general manager, Mike O’Connell, traded Joe Thornton to the Sharks in 2005, he forever ruined his legacy. The move was disastrous from the very beginning, as the return was far too small and did not even contain a first-round pick. In fact, most teams did not even know about his availability. He even could have gotten more from Brian Burke and the Ducks, too.
Thornton was also only 26-years-old and right in his prime, so the trade would come back to bite them immediately. He dominated with the Sharks that first season, as he registered 92 points in just 58 games. This led to him winning both the Hart Memorial Trophy and Art Ross Trophy, as he ended the year with 125 points in total with both clubs.
He has gone on to have a Hall of Fame career and is the most historic figure in San Jose’s history. Yet, this season he moved on from the rebuilding franchise to try to win his first Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team failed to get by the first round again, though, and their curse is still hanging over them. Now with Thornton being 41-years-old and without a contract, the legend could very well opt to retire.
However, the Bruins should consider giving him a call.
Even with Thornton far out of his prime, he actually found decent success this season. In 44 regular-season games, the playmaker still managed to register 20 points. Those aren’t necessarily jaw-dropping numbers, but keep in mind, he still had more production than both Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk this year. Therefore, there is still a player there who can succeed at the NHL level and could even be a potential upgrade.
In the 2019-20 season, there was also some hope that the Bruins would trade for him. He had done an interview for NESN with former teammate, Andrew Raycroft, about his time in Boston. From it, fans could tell that Thornton has many positive memories from his time with the Bruins. With both the team and player looking to win a Stanley Cup, perhaps there is a match there to explore.
The best teams win by having a lot of effective depth in their lineup. If the Bruins could lock him up on a league-minimum deal, just like the Maple Leafs did, why shouldn’t they do it? He could play anywhere in the lineup and leave an impact with his play. Even if he’s the 13th forward, it would be nice to have the legend back in Boston. He never should have been gone in the first place.