It was rumoured that the Leafs had interest in Thornton and vice versa and clearly he wants to win a Stanley Cup. I had talked about the uncertainty of Thornton returning to the Sharks in yesterday’s article and it’s certainly not shocking to see him sign with a team who he believes can contend next season. He's the second member of the Sharks' 2019-20 roster to sign with the Leafs this offseason, after Aaron Dell.
Thornton had 31 points in 70 games this past year and in his time with the Sharks, he totalled 251 goals and 1055 points in 1104 games. His departure means the Sharks are currently without a third-line center.
While it’s sad to see him go, it’s an understandable decision for him to chase a Cup at the end of his career.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Are you surprised by Joe Thornton's decision to sign with Toronto?