Bruins ship Thornton to Sharks in blockbuster four-player trade
SAN JOSE, Calif. (CP) - Joe Thornton is headed to the West Coast.
The Boston Bruins shipped the superstar forward to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday for forwards Wayne Primeau and Marco Sturm and defenceman Brad Stuart. Thornton, 26, is a three-time all-star who had nine goals and 24 assists in 23 games this season for the Bruins. The six-foot-four, 223-pound power forward is in the first year of a $20 million US, three-year contract and is due to make $6.66 million this year. The trade caught the London, Ont., native completely by surprise.
"It's definitely a shock," Thornton said in a conference call. "I signed a three-year deal with Boston hoping to stay three years. I really thought this was a good contending team, but obviously when you don't win games things are gonna happen."
Thornton, the first overall pick in the 1997 NHL entry draft, adds instant scoring punch to a struggling Sharks offence that ranks near the bottom of the league with just 62 goals scored. Thornton, the cousin of Sharks forward Scott Thornton, has 169 goals, 285 assists and 617 penalty minutes in 532 career games, all with Boston.
Sharks general manager Doug Wilson was ecstatic to land the skilled centre, who is considered a lock to be on Canada's entry at the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
"A player like Joe Thornton, whenever he becomes available, you certainly become interested," said Wilson. "But you don't get a player like this for nothing, and (the Bruins) got excellent players in return.
"I think he's one of the most dominant players in the game, and he's at the right age. He makes everyone around him play better."
Both teams are struggling in the new NHL. The Sharks (8-12-4) have lost 10 straight to fall to the bottom of the Pacific Division, while the Bruins (8-13-5) have dropped nine of 10 and are mired in last place in the competitive Northeast Division, 10 points behind fourth-place Buffalo.
Thornton said he felt like a scapegoat for the team's struggles.
"I came here to win and we haven't been winning," said Thornton, who insisted he wasn't angry over being traded. "Who's fault's that? I don't know, but I'm out of here, so it must have been mine."
The Bruins will save over $1.5 million in the deal, with Sturm making $2 million, Stuart set to make $1.9 million and Primeau earning $1.1 million. J.P. Barry, Thornton's agent, said he believes financial considerations played a part in the trade.
"The contract negotiation itself started as a five-year deal and ended up a three-year deal, so I think that kind of speaks for itself," Barry told TSN. "I think there was always some question, at least from my perspective, of whether they were 100 per cent committed to Joe."
Thornton is expected to make his debut Friday when the Sharks visit the Buffalo Sabres.
"On one hand it's disappointing, but on the other hand it's exciting to have a new start," said Thornton. "I've got to move on."
Bruins GM Mike O'Connell said the trade should provide a much-needed wakeup call for his slumping club.
"We felt we needed to shake up the team and sometimes you have to make some difficult decisions to better the team," O'Connell said in a statement. "We feel we received three players who can help us immediately."
Sturm, a six-foot, 195-pound left-wing, has six goals and 10 assists in 23 games for San Jose. The native of Germany was one of the more consistent forwards for the Sharks, scoring 20 or more goals over the past three seasons.
Sturm has 128 goals and 145 assists in seven-plus seasons with the Sharks, and has represented Germany in two Olympics and three World Cups.
Stuart has two goals and 10 assists in 23 games this season. The 26-year-old defenceman, selected third overall by the Sharks in 1998, has 36 goals and 117 assists in 377 career games with the Sharks.
Primeau, the younger brother of Philadelphia Flyers forward Keith Primeau, had five goals and three assists in 21 games.
All three are expected in the lineup Thursday when the Bruins host the Ottawa Senators.
Scott Thornton said he was eager to be reunited with his cousin, but expressed regret in losing Sturm, Primeau and Stuart.
"We lost three great teammates," he said. "The bottom line is we're all to blame for this. ... We should all feel guilty about this."
Quelle: http://www.nhl.com
MFG Maddin
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