1: My point is that his regular season resume far exceeds anything Getzlaf has done, and it isn't close. Getzlaf having a cup and 1 more gold medal doesn't exactly make up for that huge gap in production and individual hardware. I would definitely say being 23rd(soon to be top 20) in overall points, 13th in assists(possibly ending in the top 10) with a Hart, Art Ross, 1st team AS, 3x Second team, with 4 international Gold medals a better career than 1 Stanley cup and 1 more gold medal.
2: Yes....they have been good and we're contenders because of Thornton, he was the difference maker. Not even close. He turned around a franchise and put up impressive point totals with subpar wingers. He had to weather the storm until he finally got a great team around him. He was a huge reason they made the playoffs so many times in general. Let's not talk like the Sharks were doing great before he got there.
3: Again it simply makes no sense to say he has had a better career based on that. Both are team awards first of all, and his cup came on a stacked team with him centering the 2nd line. He hasn't won a cup since taking over as the best center.
4: You can't just separate the regular season and Playoffs. Justin Williams has 3 cups and a conn smythe, but I wouldn't say he has had a better career than Thornton. Thornton is a slam dunk HOF, while Getzlaf has more work to do. There are plenty of players that have better playoff resumes than Thornton, but that doesn't mean they have had a better career.
5: As the number 1 center, he has led them to
THREE WCF appearances, and a stanley cup appearance. Getzlaf was not their best player or forward during the 07 cup run....so what exactly are you getting at? That's the one year you are using as a career definer, yet he too wasn't even close to their best player. Was Getzlaf really their undisputed best player during those playoff runs? It's not like he got much farther than Thornton did.
6: Your also forgetting that Thornton was in his mid-late 30s by the time the Sharks were good enough to make deeper runs. His 2016 playoffs was extremely impressive(especially at 36) and he was one of their best players. He was also one of their best players in 2010. Once again it's contradicting to call out Thornton for not being their best player when they made deep runs, yet praise Getzlaf for his 07 post season....even though he too was not their best player. It's also strange to give Getzlaf more credit for being their best player when his team met the same fate as Thornton and the Sharks did each time. So which one is it? Getzlaf is the man when he is their best player when they don't make it all the way, but gets credit for his 2007 playoffs even though he wasn't their best player?....
7: 2009? You mean the series where Thornton was the only shark to show up? Exactly challenged Getzlaf to a fight(and won). Hockey isn't one on one and Getzlaf being better than Thornton one playoff series doesn't suddenly make his career better. Talk about reaching. Especially considering some much needed context....like Getzlaf having guys like Ryan and Perry on his wing and Pronger/Niedermayer on the back end.....but ya Getzlaf was the MVP
8: I think Thorntons 2016 post season is better than anything Getzlaf has done, because he actually made it to the finals leading his team as their top center.
9: That's the funniest thing when people say this, but with Getzlaf it's even more funny. You would honestly pick Getzlaf for the playoffs? What success has he had or brought his team as the number 1 center? If you do pick him, what line will he be on? What exactly guarantees any success?
10: There is something you seem to keep forgetting....Getzlaf won a cup on the 2nd line....with a future Hart winner on his wing, with 2 HOF(and both Norris trophy finalists)defensemen, a Beastly shut down line with a selke finalists, a seasoned Conn Smythe winning goalie, and another HOFer in Selanne on the first line who finished 2 points behind Getzlaf. Don't you you think Thornton would have a great chance of winning a cup with that kind of supporting cast?
11: Not to mention, ever since Getzlaf took over as the top center, he has had better wingers, defense, and goaltending than Thornton and the Sharks had....yet he hasn't won a cup...so why pick him? It makes no sense what so ever. Your picking him based on the fact that he has a cup and Thornton doesn't, but he wasn't their top center or their best player during that run.....something you are attacking Thornton for.
12: Getzlaf has never had to carry the Ducks like Thornton had to.