When it comes to a potential reunion for Joe Thornton in Boston, the pieces just don’t fit

It’d be a perfect sight if it came to fruition, wouldn’t it? 

Just seconds after Zdeno Chara hoists Lord Stanley’s Cup for the second time in his illustrious career, the B’s captain turns to give hockey’s greatest prize to 40-year-old Joe Thornton — who finally lifts the lone accolade that has eluded him in his Hall-of-Fame career. 

Have goosebumps?

Thornton’s career coming full circle with the team that drafted him first overall back in 1997 would be a hallmark moment for both the player and the franchise — and would likely give the NHL its closest callback to Ray Bourque’s memorable title with Colorado in 2001. 

A scenario in which Thornton is back in a black and gold sweater might only seem like a nostalgia trip, but Jumbo Joe’s potential return to Boston might be more than just a pipe dream.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun believes that if the sinking Sharks opted to deal Thornton ahead of the Feb. 24 trade deadline, both the Bruins and Avalanche stand as good fits as they ready for their respective playoff pushes. 

At this point, given both the current state of the 26-30-4 Sharks and the dwindling time remaining in Thornton’s career, it would seem likely that San Jose opts to move the center in the coming days — giving him one more legitimate chance at a Cup.

On Thursday night, Bruins executive director of player personnel John Ferguson was spotted in Newark for a matchup between the Devils and Sharks. It makes plenty of sense for the B’s to make their presence felt at such a game, especially with another potential trade target in Kyle Palmieri taking to the ice. 

But Ferguson has also been a regular sight in San Jose over the past couple of weeks as the trade market slowly started to heat up. 

https://twitter.com/KKurzNHL/status/1230652265213636613

Coincidence? 

Even if the Bruins remain fixated on adding a top-six winger before Monday's cutoff date, Don Sweeney and his staff have the assets to pull off a number of secondary moves — one of which could be a deal to bolster their forward depth by bringing Thornton aboard for the postseason.

The optics of such a deal — and the sentiment behind it — would make this an easy swap for many to accept. But from an on-ice perspective? Well, then things can get a little cloudy.

BSJ Analysis

It doesn't take a pro scout or hockey maven to discern that this Jumbo Joe is far from the playmaking pivot that has dissected opposing defenses for over two decades now.

Through 60 games this season with San Jose, Thornton has tallied two goals and 25 total points while averaging 15:13 of ice time. Yes, he may not be a franchise cornerstone anymore, but the 40-year-old forward could still be an effective pick-up for a Cup contender looking for a bottom-six center and distributor on the power play.

The question is: where exactly is that spot available on this Bruins team?

At this point, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Charlie Coyle is at his best when he's anchoring Boston's third line from his usual spot at center.

When needed, the Weymouth native has slotted up to that vacant 2RW position in order to give David Krejci a big body to work with this season. But the results have been mixed when Bruce Cassidy has put together a line of DeBrusk-Krejci-Coyle during 5v5 play. Sure, opponents have scored only one goal against that trio in 50:01 of 5v5 ice time, but Boston has only scored two goals of its own during that extended stretch. That's not the production you want to see out of a vital top-six crew.

As such, slotting Thornton into that 3C spot and bumping Coyle up to the wing seems like a foolhardy measure. Thornton is still a strong playmaker — with his 1.42 assists per 60 minutes of 5v5 play leading all Sharks skaters this season — but Coyle's value to this club is severely stunted when he's not driving play down the middle and extending O-zone possessions against other bottom-six competition.

Perhaps Thornton could slot in at 4C if such a deal was struck.  But does an aging, slow veteran like Thornton necessarily fit in on a fourth line that, when it's at its best, is hemming opponents in their own zone off of a fast and furious forecheck?

While Boston's regular fourth-line grouping of Sean Kuraly, Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom haven't exactly lived up to the lofty standards they set last season, Cassidy noted last week of the importance of keeping that grouping together — hoping that some extended stretches of strong play as of late will carry over into the postseason.

"Pitched in offensively, did the job on the kill. Physically were able to deliver in that area," Cassidy said of the Kuraly line's efforts against Montreal on Feb. 12. "Great game for them, to me, to see them hopefully — well, they definitely take a step forward and hopefully keep taking some steps forward.

"We’ve talked about wanting to get that line together, that’s certainly one of goals here with the amount of games left, to make sure we try to build their game as much as possible. There’s going to be nights when we move people in and out because of  back-to-backs or whatnot, but in general, we like to see that line recapture where they were last year. I think it will make us a much better team."

Thornton might have the size (6-foot-4, 220-pounds), but a player with his profile isn't necessarily the first option when it comes to adding pieces to a fast-paced, physical checking line.

When you compare Thornton's skills to what the Bruins are in the market for (namely, finishing ability in the top-six), the pieces just don't seem to fit when it comes to a potential reunion. Of course, if the cost really is low and the Sharks want to do Thornton a solid, perhaps he comes to Boston for pennies on the dollar and serves as a depth piece — giving the B's another veteran in the room for what could be a grueling couple of months.

Maybe that could work. Or maybe I'm just searching in vain for the scenario where Thornton has a defined role on this Bruins team. Much like the sight of Jumbo finally hoisting the Cup, perhaps such a scenario is simply too good to actually be true.