One of the best forwards of the 21st century was Joe Thornton. Over his 24 years in the NHL, he racked up 430 goals and 1109 assists for 1539 points. He was the face of the San Jose Sharks for 15 seasons and is the first team you think of when he is mentioned. But it is very easy to forget that Thornton started his career in Boston. He spent the first seven years of his career as a Bruin before he was traded. But what if he wasn't? What would have happened if the Bruins had held on to Joe Thornton?
Does Joe Thornton get his Stanley Cup if he stays in Boston?
The one thing that stays the same in this timeline is the production that Thornton puts up. Sure, there is no way to know exactly how many points he would put up if he stayed with the Bruins. But you assume he settles somewhere between 90-110 points, as he did in two of the three seasons before. He would be an all-star and be in the running for the Art Ross and Hart trophies. The perfect face of the Bruins franchise.
While having a player like Thornton would help them win games, it would cost them important pieces of the core that won the 2011 Stanley Cup. They would not have the cap space to sign guys like Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard, both of whom were huge contributors. Thornton also helps the Bruins win a few more games than they did, making it unlikely they land the 5th pick that got them Phil Kessel. Meaning they don't trade him and draft Tyler Seguin.
Without these three, it is unlikely that the Bruins would have made the run to the Cup final in 2011. Sure, they are probably good enough to be a playoff team, but lack the depth that got them there in the first place. They will likely be a team that always comes up short. A comparison would be the early to mid-2010s New York Rangers. A team led by a superstar who always made the playoffs, but was unable to get over the hump.
This would leave the Bruins in a very tough spot. They would be stuck in purgatory as a good team but not good enough. This would force the front office to make a tough decision. Do they trade Thornton down the road for a haul in hopes that it will put them over the top? Or do they move young players like Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic in a trade, hoping they get a veteran that will change things? But end up hurting them in the long term.
While trading Thornton when they did seemed like a bad move, it opened the door for the Bruins to lift the Cup. We would not have had that magical run in 2011 had it not been for this move.
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