Joe Thornton: Chicago, St. Louis, or NY Rangers?
By Robert Nasso
Apr 27, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw (left) and defenseman Duncan Keith (right) celebrate Keith
Chicago Blackhawks
While highly unlikely to happen given the Blackhawks’ cap situation and standing as a rival of the Sharks, Joe Thornton would be a great fit in Chicago. The Blackhawks have been looking for a no. 2 center to play behind Jonathan Toews for years, even dating back to their 2010 championship run. Thornton would be the perfect center for Patrick Kane who loves to have the puck and score big goals, as Thornton’s playmaking ability is one of the best in the league right now. Toews can then play with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa as “Jumbo Joe” anchors a line that includes Kane and Brandon Saad. The ‘Hawks would essentially have two “first” lines and the scoring would increase exponentially.
If this were to happen, the Sharks would likely want to make prospect Teuvo Teravainen the centerpiece of their return from Chicago. If that were to fall through, the Blackhawks could offer their first round pick and either Andrew Shaw or goaltending prospect Antti Raanta. Netting Raanta in a deal would help the Sharks for both now and the future, as he is a highly-touted goalie prospect and San Jose is in need of help in net.