Toronto Maple Leafs: Making the case to sign Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton would be a perfect fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been busy this offseason as they’ve been improving their roster while navigating the flat salary cap of $81.5 million. For the most part, they’ve done a pretty good job. They’ve added T.J. Brodie and Wayne Simmonds. Both should make the Leafs a better team.
However, the Leafs still have a gaping hole on their third line. Alex Kerfoot is penciled in to be their third line center, but he’s a better fit at wing. Kerfoot could play center if needed, but on a contender, he shouldn’t be your 3C. Enter Joe Thornton.
According to James Mirtle of The Athletic, the Leafs and Thornton have mutual interest in each other. Currently, Thornton is playing in Switzerland, training for next season. He did the same thing during the 2012-13 lockout and the 2004-05 lockout.
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Why The Leafs Should Sign Thornton
As mentioned before, the Leafs need a real third-line center. That would make their lineup better and more complete. Thornton might not be an elite center anymore, but he’s still quite capable of handling third-line minutes.
While Thornton’s numbers and underlying stats both took a nosedive last season, he was quite good until last season. Maybe a change in scenery will get him back to being a good player again. Playing in Toronto could give him a much-needed boost.
Assuming Thornton would be willing to take a cheap salary, he’d give the Leafs an impressive playmaker and more center depth. In the NHL, you can never have too much center depth. Teams are always looking to add more centers.
Thornton would also give their second power play unit a boost. He’s one of the best passers around, especially on the man advantage. Though Thornton struggled last season, keep in mind he was on a terrible Sharks team. A move to Toronto would give him a fresh start and a chance to play with potentially better linemates.
With the Maple Leafs, Thornton would also be getting fairly easy minutes. Their top two lines, led by Matthews and Tavares, gobble up most of the attention. In a third line role, likely with Nicolas Robertson or Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev, Thornton would thrive. And if Matthews or Tavares miss any time, Thornton could fill in capably in the top six.
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Whether or not Thornton is willing to take a discount is up in the air. But if he decides to, the Toronto Maple Leafs would benefit from signing him.