Tretyak 20
Registered User
In no way are Thornton and Patrick similar players. Thornton has always relied on his passing more than his shot, and has never really been a great skater, while Patrick is a guy who's shot is his best asset and a good skater for a big guy. Not really a good comparison.
Let me reiterate that not once have I ever heard a legit source refer to Patrick as a "good skater for a big guy". Also, his passing and vision are superb. The fact that Thornton is a slightly more "pass first" player than Patrick is a minor difference in style. They are different players and no comparison is going to be exact.