It’s incredible how Shawn Thornton has become one of the most overrated players in hockey. The news that the Boston Bruins won’t re-sign the beloved enforcer, who has averaged fewer than five goals per 82 games over his 11-year career including playoffs, shook the hockey media Tuesday.

Normally, this wouldn’t register on the Canucks Army scale of noticeability, since Thornton, who has averaged fewer than five goals per 82 games over his 11-year career including playoffs, plays for a team way back East that the Canucks see twice a season, but it’s appropriate to be worried that the Canucks might have Thornton, who has averaged fewer than five goals per 82 games over his 11-year career including playoffs, on their radar.

Thornton, who has averaged fewer than five goals per 82 games over his 11-year career including playoffs, made the media rounds Tuesday afternoon and is apparently open to Vancouver. His history here mostly involves aggressive residue from the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, a series which unfortunately defined the legacy of the losing team moreso than that of the winning team:

In addition to the Leafs, Thornton also had some favourable things to say about the Canucks organization. Thornton knows new Canucks GM Jim Benning from his time with the Bruins. “I love Mr. Benning, him and his whole family,” Thornton told News1130 in Vancouver Tuesday. “If he gives me a shout, I will be more than happy to talk to him.”

Oh, good. Thornton would be open to the Canucks.

Actually, it’s likely that the fighter is open to any 29 teams. He’s 37 years old and has no tangible hockey skills to contribute. In addition to scoring five times and recording 8 points in 8:48 of average ice time this season, Thornton, who has averaged fewer than five goals per 82 games over his 11-year career including playoffs, had a -7.7% relative Corsi rate: identical to that of current Vancouver Canuck Tom Sestito.

This normally wouldn’t scare me, except that Trevor Linden specifically mentioned Thornton as “such an important guy” for the Boston model.

“When you assign roles to players on the third and fourth line, then they take ownership, and that’s important.”

I don’t think too many Canucks Army readers would disagree with Linden here, but you somewhat have to gauge how important a role is before taking on somebody to do it. When I was starting off as a freelance writer, I hired somebody to hit the ‘enter’ key for me at the end of every paragraph. This worker was very committed, prompt, dedicated, and really took ownership of his role in my writing. It didn’t mean he served any purpose in the finished product.

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Boston are Boston because of Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and replaced one Vezina-winning goaltender with another (likely) Vezina-winning goaltender. Their defensive and forward depth was actually an issue for them in the playoffs—only four players had more than one goal.

It’s odd how the enforcers for Stanley Cup teams are talked about with such reverence, while the enforcers for teams like Edmonton, Vancouver or Toronto, who collapsed down the standings, don’t seem to generate a share of the blame from the mainstream press.

So, yes. Signing Shawn Thornton would be a mistake, I really hope Jim Benning doesn’t sign Shawn Thornton, and I’d like to finish with a reminder that Shawn Thornton has averaged fewer than five goals per 82 games over his 11-year career including playoffs.





