Joe Thornton is one of the most polarizing players in the National Hockey League (NHL). He’s produced for both the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks throughout his career, yet he’s been viewed as someone who’s always come up short.
Earlier this week, Pierre LeBrun, who’s covered many Sharks games during Thornton’s tenure for ESPN, made the case there is one place where Joe Thornton shouldn’t fall short: inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
As LeBrun points out, Thornton is a “slam-dunk Hall of Famer” in his mind. Thornton’s on-ice production is certainly impressive as he currently sits 36th on the all-time points list with 1,259 points (358 goals and 901 assists). Also, Thornton is 19th on the assists list, one behind current Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier.
Thornton has been one of the best playmakers since he broke into the league during the 1997-98 season after he was the number one overall selection by the Bruins. After being traded to San Jose during the 2005-06 season, Thornton elevated the franchise and has produced some of the best individual seasons in franchise history.
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He made an immediate impact as he won the only Hart Trophy in Sharks history after posting 20 goals and 72 assists in only 58 games, good for 1.59 points per game (an astounding number). During his tenure with the San Jose Sharks, Thornton made Jonathan Cheechoo into a Rocket Richard winner, after his 56-goal campaign. Playing alongside Thornton, Cheechoo experienced his greatest years of his career, thanks to the passes Thornton would give him.
In recent seasons, Thornton has helped Joe Pavelski grow into a more dominant scorer for the Sharks. No matter who has been on his wing, Thornton has carried them along and often led to career seasons for those players.
Also, as Lebrun notes, Thornton has been a possession-driving machine with the Sharks. Thornton has been San Jose’s best player in the Corsi For department, which only bolsters his Hall of Fame standing.
The biggest hindrance to Thornton’s Hall of Fame credentials is the lack of a Stanley Cup appearance. Thornton has shouldered the blame for many Bruins and Sharks shortcomings, fairly or unfairly. It’s hard to imagine how Thornton has never appeared in a Stanley Cup as he’s been on some talented teams. Thornton made it to the Conference Finals twice with the Sharks, only to register just one win in nine games.
Thornton’s playoff numbers drop from the production he’s put up during the regular season. In 132 career playoff games, Thornton has registered 24 goals and 76 assists (100 points), with seven game-winning goals but a minus-27. His points per game drops to 0.76 per game, after being nearly a point-per-game player during the regular season (0.98).
Despite the dip, these are still very solid numbers that many players throughout the league would take in a heartbeat. However, when you’re the face of the franchise like Joe Thornton has been, more will always be expected. It just comes with the territory.
In concluding, the ESPN panel confirmed LeBrun’s thoughts as 67 percent said he should be in the Hall of Fame. Thornton, who is still under contract for two more seasons, still has plenty left in the tank to potentially surpass the 1,500-point plateau. While the Sharks best window for the Stanley Cup may have passed, they still have enough talent to put together a surprising run.
Regardless, Joe Thornton has been a tremendous talent and had an outstanding NHL career that won’t be truly appreciated until he retires. There’s been no San Jose Sharks player that’s been more maligned, but also none as well-liked as Thornton who deserves to find himself amongst hockey’s greatest players.
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