I wouldn't be shocked to hear there were discussions between the Bruins and a few other teams about Thornton...very rarely is a player of his magnitude traded away without at least a few teams "kicking the tires" before a deal is made.
I wouldn't be shocked to hear there were discussions between the Bruins and a few other teams about Thornton...very rarely is a player of his magnitude traded away without at least a few teams "kicking the tires" before a deal is made.
That's almost always the case but I remember O'Connell stating in an interview that "it was a case of two teams trying to solve each others problems". It sounded to me like O'Connell didnt really put Joe out there as much as he could have. Thats what made it so interesting to me anyways.
That's almost always the case but I remember O'Connell stating in an interview that "it was a case of two teams trying to solve each others problems". It sounded to me like O'Connell didnt really put Joe out there as much as he could have. Thats what made it so interesting to me anyways.
I never pay attention to what GMs say about trades because it's usually 99% PR and 1% factual.
the funny thing (about samsonov maybe signing with the sharks this offseason) is the player that wilson was trying to land at the time was samsonov, but something was said that started the trade for thornton and next thing you know thornton was traded.
We would have been just as successful with just Marleau at the helm
The problems that Sharks team had wasn't anything to do with Marleau. It was everything to do with the lack of replacements that DW got when they let everyone go before the lockout. A rookie Marcel Goc was our 2nd line center to start that year.
But I do shudder to think where this team would have been the last several years w/o the big guy. I'm sure DW would have made moves for other premiere players and the landscape would be completely different.. but... this trade paid off in spades.
The problems that Sharks team had wasn't anything to do with Marleau. It was everything to do with the lack of replacements that DW got when they let everyone go before the lockout. A rookie Marcel Goc was our 2nd line center to start that year.
I could be wrong, but I am fairly certain that Alyn McCauley was our 2nd line Center after the Lockout before Jumbo arrived. Goc was the number 3 or 4 (Wayne Primeau and Mark Smith were in the bottom six, I just can't remember where)
Anyways, hahaha at the Panthers owner at the time "No way Thornton is too much money".
he would of saved some money on thornton though, i don't think he would of gotten close to 8 million a season if he went to florida (nor do i actually think thornton would of signed there when he hit ufa).
