Outside Perspective: Blame Joe Thornton? Trade Joe Thornton?
Posted 12:03 AM ET | Comments 0
Just put this up on my site, Link Here thought I would share here as well.
Once again the San Jose Sharks have flopped out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A Coaching change was made, key veteran additions were made, and sadly San Jose met the same outcome. Is it possible that it is not the periphery, but rather the core?
The question is, should San Jose entertain moving Marleau or Thornton? Both are capable #1 Centers, who have large contracts, but are not entirely unmanageable.
So where would those two go? Who needs a #1 Center and has the roster/cap space? One comes to mind.
Columbus
So playing “computer chair GM” - what could a deal look like?
Columbus: Brassard, Torres, Chimera, 09 1st | San Jose: Thornton + 09 2nd or 3rd
Playing around with the cap figures:
San Jose is shedding Grier ($1.775 mil), Roenick ($1.1 mil), Moen ($912k) – totaling about $3.8mil. Adding Brassard ($1.246mil), Torres ($2.25mil), and Chimera ($1.875mil) would total approximately $5.3mil. Thornton dropping off would make the net loss of ($7.2mil - $5.3mil) about $1.9mil. Columbus would be taking on a net gain of approximately ($7.2mil - $3.8mil) $3.4 mil. The $3.4mil is easily made up allowing Malhotra ($1.2mil) and Williams ($2.2mil) to leave via free agency.
This would allow San Jose to replenish their depth/role players at a very similar price and free up money to purse another forward via free agency. Perhaps Gionta, Skyora, Sullivan, or Kozlov. This also gives Columbus a legit #1 Center to play with Nash and take any undo pressure off Filatov.
As a Blues fan I’m very glad we don’t have a question about our Centers…yet. If Columbus wants to improve and take the next step with their team next year, they need creator for Nash. That would certainly keep Columbus close to St. Louis and just under Detroit and Chicago.
Question to Blues fans: Would that make you fear Columbus? Having a legit, threatening scoring duo?
Question to Sharks/Blue Jackets fans: Feelings on the deal? Do Sharks fans really want Thornton gone? Are Jackets fans willing to accept a “big trade” to make their team better?
[url]
Once again the San Jose Sharks have flopped out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A Coaching change was made, key veteran additions were made, and sadly San Jose met the same outcome. Is it possible that it is not the periphery, but rather the core?
The question is, should San Jose entertain moving Marleau or Thornton? Both are capable #1 Centers, who have large contracts, but are not entirely unmanageable.
So where would those two go? Who needs a #1 Center and has the roster/cap space? One comes to mind.
Columbus
So playing “computer chair GM” - what could a deal look like?
Columbus: Brassard, Torres, Chimera, 09 1st | San Jose: Thornton + 09 2nd or 3rd
Playing around with the cap figures:
San Jose is shedding Grier ($1.775 mil), Roenick ($1.1 mil), Moen ($912k) – totaling about $3.8mil. Adding Brassard ($1.246mil), Torres ($2.25mil), and Chimera ($1.875mil) would total approximately $5.3mil. Thornton dropping off would make the net loss of ($7.2mil - $5.3mil) about $1.9mil. Columbus would be taking on a net gain of approximately ($7.2mil - $3.8mil) $3.4 mil. The $3.4mil is easily made up allowing Malhotra ($1.2mil) and Williams ($2.2mil) to leave via free agency.
This would allow San Jose to replenish their depth/role players at a very similar price and free up money to purse another forward via free agency. Perhaps Gionta, Skyora, Sullivan, or Kozlov. This also gives Columbus a legit #1 Center to play with Nash and take any undo pressure off Filatov.
As a Blues fan I’m very glad we don’t have a question about our Centers…yet. If Columbus wants to improve and take the next step with their team next year, they need creator for Nash. That would certainly keep Columbus close to St. Louis and just under Detroit and Chicago.
Question to Blues fans: Would that make you fear Columbus? Having a legit, threatening scoring duo?
Question to Sharks/Blue Jackets fans: Feelings on the deal? Do Sharks fans really want Thornton gone? Are Jackets fans willing to accept a “big trade” to make their team better?
[url]