Sportsnet Steve Dangle: How both Boston and San Jose won the Joe Thornton trade

[Fenway]

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[TD Charlie]

Hard to argue with the pieces Boston ultimately acquired, and then still had during their resurgence in the years leading up to their cup run.

I’m mostly happy that this is all Steve has to blog about.

 

[Bruinaura]

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Finally went over the edge, did he?

 

[Fenway]

Hard to argue with the pieces Boston ultimately acquired, and then still had during their resurgence in the years leading up to their cup run.

I’m mostly happy that this is all Steve has to blog about.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

I think David Ayres is the one good thing that has happened so far in 2020. Well him and the Bruins securing the Presidents' Trophy I guess. It's a small field!

 

[Fenway]

I think David Ayres is the one good thing that has happened so far in 2020. Well him and the Bruins securing the Presidents' Trophy I guess. It's a small field!

Ayers played on February 22nd - That seems like 4 years ago now

 

[BruinsNetwork]

Ayers played on February 22nd - That seems like 4 years ago now

If you told me that game took place in 2020 I’d call you a liar.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Ayers played on February 22nd - That seems like 4 years ago now

It feels like a whole other world doesn't it?

 

[Fenway]

If you told me that game took place in 2020 I’d call you a liar.

Understandable

Ayers happened at roughly the same time we started to understand things were about to get bad

As a puckhead I really enjoyed this moment 2 nights after the game in Toronto

 

[Fenway]

Here is the other part of the Thornton trade that we forget

The 2005-06 Bruins were bad

Remember Papa Jacobs actually appeared on WEEI with Ordway the day after the trade and defended it. BUT things got so bad that Charlie convinced his father that Sinden, MOC and friends HAD to go.

If Thornton wasn't traded I can't see the Bruins making the big splash with Chara a year later. Chia who had cleaned house did whiff badly on Dave Lewis BUT pounced when the Devils fired Julien.

IF the Bruins had NOT traded Thornton would they have eventually won a Cup anyways?

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Here is the other part of the Thornton trade that we forget

The 2005-06 Bruins were bad

View attachment 351457

Remember Papa Jacobs actually appeared on WEEI with Ordway the day after the trade and defended it. BUT things got so bad that Charlie convinced his father that Sinden, MOC and friends HAD to go.

If Thornton wasn't traded I can't see the Bruins making the big splash with Chara a year later. Chia who had cleaned house did whiff badly on Dave Lewis BUT pounced when the Devils fired Julien.

IF the Bruins had NOT traded Thornton would they have eventually won a Cup anyways?

The return for Seguin was arguably worse if they got a player of Seguin's caliber like Jamie Benn. The bruins could have kept the cup contender momentum going for anther 3 years at least instead of going through that mini rebuild stretch.

 

[Dicky113]

Here is the other part of the Thornton trade that we forget

The 2005-06 Bruins were bad

View attachment 351457

Remember Papa Jacobs actually appeared on WEEI with Ordway the day after the trade and defended it. BUT things got so bad that Charlie convinced his father that Sinden, MOC and friends HAD to go.

If Thornton wasn't traded I can't see the Bruins making the big splash with Chara a year later. Chia who had cleaned house did whiff badly on Dave Lewis BUT pounced when the Devils fired Julien.

IF the Bruins had NOT traded Thornton would they have eventually won a Cup anyways?

This is putting lipstick on a pig. You can’t possibly know that the Bruins wouldn’t have signed Chara or that they wouldn’t have won a cup anyway. The butterfly effect from any decision in life could have unforeseen consequences, good or bad. But that doesn’t change the fact that the trade was horrendous, both when it happened and in hindsight. I think the worst in NHL history.

 

[Dicky113]

The return for Seguin was arguably worse if they got a player of Seguin's caliber like Jamie Benn. The bruins could have kept the cup contender momentum going for anther 3 years at least instead of going through that mini rebuild stretch.

Seguin trade was terrible too, but Thornton was a HHOF player in his prime that went on to win a hart trophy the year he was traded.

 

[LSCII]

No. Just f***ing no. While it may have ultimately worked out for the Bruins, the return for a top asset was major f***ing bullshit. So I'd say if anything, that trade worked out despite the Bruins starting off in a giant hole they dug themselves. This constant need to prove it was a good move says exactly what it really was: A horrendous trade that the team was able to overcome.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

This is putting lipstick on a pig. You can’t possibly know that the Bruins wouldn’t have signed Chara or that they wouldn’t have won a cup anyway. The butterfly effect from any decision in life could have unforeseen consequences, good or bad. But that doesn’t change the fact that the trade was horrendous, both when it happened and in hindsight. I think the worst in NHL history.

If they kept Thornton and signed a veteran leader and Bergeron developed into Player he became. There is probably a chance they could have had a title team like the 07 ducks.

 

[BruinDust]

This is putting lipstick on a pig. You can’t possibly know that the Bruins wouldn’t have signed Chara or that they wouldn’t have won a cup anyway. The butterfly effect from any decision in life could have unforeseen consequences, good or bad. But that doesn’t change the fact that the trade was horrendous, both when it happened and in hindsight. I think the worst in NHL history.

I think it's a pretty safe bet. Did you see how Sinden/MOC operated this team? I can't see any possible scenario where Chara signs here under that management group.

Doesn't change the fact that the return for a player of Thornton's age and caliber was absolutely dreadful. But without the trade Chara is never a Bruin, not a doubt in my mind.

 

[Therick67]

No. Just f***ing no. While it may have ultimately worked out for the Bruins, the return for a top asset was major f***ing bullshit. So I'd say if anything, that trade worked out despite the Bruins starting off in a giant hole they dug themselves. This constant need to prove it was a good move says exactly what it really was: A horrendous trade that the team was able to overcome.

Maybe had the Bruins actually made a good trade, they would have won more than one cup?

Sometimes bad moves work out. 'I know, we'll trade Thornton for crap and we'll eventually win the cup"!! Pure genius..

 

[LSCII]

Maybe had the Bruins actually made a good trade, they would have won more than one cup?

Sometimes bad moves work out. 'I know, we'll trade Thornton for crap and we'll eventually win the cup"!! Pure genius..

This is exactly correct. Let's not also forget that the team traded Kessel for nothing but futures and burned an entire season before replacing that hole in the lineup. They then did it again when they dumped Seguin for pennies on the dollar. And despite those moves where they got less return than they should have/could have, they won a cup. But implying there were no other avenues to winning one or more like this guy did? Silly.

 

[Therick67]

This is exactly correct. Let's not also forget that the team traded Kessel for nothing but futures and burned an entire season before replacing that hole in the lineup. They then did it again when they dumped Seguin for pennies on the dollar. And despite those moves where they got less return than they should have/could have, they won a cup. But implying there were no other avenues to winning one or more like this guy did? Silly.

Maybe they'll dump Pastrnack for some spare parts....looking forward to that 2026 Cup!!!!!!

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Maybe they'll dump Pastrnack for some spare parts....looking forward to that 2026 Cup!!!!!!

Sweeney has a lot of self awareness that the bruins have a history of giving up on young players to soon. He has done a good job so far in being patient with players like pasta and mcavoy.

 

[Therick67]

Sweeney has a lot of self awareness that the bruins have a history of giving up on young players to soon. He has done a good job so far in being patient with players like pasta and mcavoy.

Agreed. Just being sarcastic. The Bruins didn't win the Thornton trade, they simply lucked out.

 

[Gator Mike]

You can certainly argue the return the Bruins got for Thornton... although I tend to agree with the point made in that video about it not being quite as bad as people think.

I think the Bruins mismanaged his career - for example, they made him a captain at a young age and hoped he would grow into the role.

But at the time, I actually agreed with the decision to move on from the Joe Thornton Era, and I still think it was the right move to trade him. How they went about it and what they got in return is another matter.

 

[missingchicklet]

Sweeney has a lot of self awareness that the bruins have a history of giving up on young players to soon. He has done a good job so far in being patient with players like pasta and mcavoy.

In all fairness, it hasn't been hard to be patient with Pasta and Charlie since they are a) really awesome players at a young age, and b) have handled their business off the ice MUCH better than Seguin. While Seguin was showing a lot of promise with the Bs, he wasn't at the level of Pasta. In fact Seguin was a playoff dud in his last season with the Bs (1 goal in 22 games). Have to wonder how patient Sweeney would be with either Pasta or McAvoy if they were pulling the stunts off the ice Seguin was, and were also duds in the playoffs. No argument that the Seguin trade ended up being a bad one for the Bs.

 

[KrejciMVP]

the Savard, Chara signing and the emergence of Krejci made this trade sting a lot less. We definitely did not win this trade.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

the Savard, Chara signing and the emergence of Krejci made this trade sting a lot less. We definitely did not win this trade.

Habs are winning all their trades but are still dreadful and irrelevant Forever.

Bruins could definitely have gotten more for Thornton. But he had to go and it turned out great for the Bruins so I don’t care about the return anymore.

Just like that 3-0 3-0 loss to the Flyers. Paved the way to the Cup the next year so not mad about that anymore.

Butterfly effect. What if they had a better return for Thornton? Would they have won more Cups, the same or 0? We’ll never know.

One thing is certain, we are very lucky to be Bruins fans since that Chara-Bergeron reunion. Not looking like declining soon with Pasta and plethora of young kids on deck.