Stanley Cup in San Jose? Smart to Re-Sign Thornton and Marleau
Today, the San Jose Sharks re-signed their two most recognizable players, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. Depending on who you ask, these re-signings are either the greatest or worst possible move for the franchise. Some will tell you the deals are great, allowing Thornton and Marleau to finish out their distinguished careers in Shark's uniforms. Others will say the duo should have been traded, that they are part of the reason San Jose has failed to hoist a Stanley Cup. I submit fully to neither camp's train of thought, although I do believe these moves will be beneficial for San Jose.
For starters, they are arguably the two greatest San Jose Sharks of all time. Marleau is the team leader in games played (1,216), points (908), goals (425), game winning goals (81) and second overall in assists (483). Thornton, on the other hand, is the team leader in assists (549), plus/minus (+148) and is second overall in points (717). The bottom line is, these two players find ways to light up the scoreboard. Based on the above statistics alone, a resigning was warranted.
Those stats, however, don't take into account the intangibles Thornton and Marleau bring to the team. As Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson said today, "Patrick and Joe continue to perform at an elite level in the National Hockey League and, most importantly, they make the other players around them better." They make the players around them better, a key to success. For, as any sports fan knows, one or two good players do not guarantee a successful season for the team. Elevating the play of those around him has been a cornerstone of Joe Thornton's career. In 2006, winger Jonathan Cheechoo was the league's top goal scorer with 56, he was centered by Joe Thornton. Winger Devin Setoguchi scored over 20 goals in three out of four years with San Jose while playing on Thornton's line. Since being traded for defenseman Brent Burns before the 2011 season, Setoguchi hasn't enjoyed nearly as much success. Even look at Burns, he thrived at the forward position when coach Todd McClellan put him on Thornton's line midway through last season. Joe Thornton makes other players better, hands down.
The playoff performance of both Marleau and Thornton is called into question nearly every season. They are constantly accused of being choke artists and ridiculed for not producing during the postseason. Anyone who has payed attention to the Sharks for the last four years knows this simply is not true. Although they may have been guilty of "choking" in the past, Marleau and Thornton have since ramped up their game come playoff time. Since the 2009-2010 Postseason, the pair have a combined 78 points in 97 games, including 7 game winning goals. With the exception of 2012 against St. Louis, Marleau has netted more than 5 goals in each postseason. In the same span, Thornton has been incredibly efficient both ways on the ice while tallying 34 assists. Not to mention his series clinching goal, in overtime against the LA Kings in 2011. Choke artists? I think not.
Even with all the above information, some readers likely remain unconvinced. They firmly believe Marleau and Thornton need to go. Well those people are wrong. Doug Wilson already went through a mini firesale when he dealt Doug Murray, Ryane Clowe and Michael Handzus last year. Evidently, he believed the draft picks gained from those deals will be sufficient moving forward. Marleau and Thornton are two of the main puzzle pieces to this team. While they are on the roster, San Jose has its best chance to win a Stanley Cup. Just look at the numbers this year, #12 and #19 are in the top three for points on the team. Marleau has 21 goals and 26 assists while Thornton has 6 goals and 47 assists. You can't trade away production like that and expect it to materialize from nowhere.
If Sharks fans want to see the Stanley Cup parade through San Pedro Square, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau need to be on the team.
*All Stats courtesy of sharks.nhl.com, photo courtesy of espn
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