It Happens Every Spring

Time to go, Joe photo by Matthieu Masquelet

It’s that time of year again. Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. And the San Jose Sharks are choking in the playoffs.

I gave the Sharks too much credit. I knew they were losers, but I picked them anyway, because I didn’t think they could possibly collapse again. I was misinformed.

At least Joe Thornton went down swinging. I didn’t think he had it in him. Then again, Ryan Getzlaf nearly beat it out of him. But watching Getzlaf and Thornton drop the gloves on the opening draw brought a tear to the eye.

How could I possibly rip Thornton after watching that? Sure, he had one goal, five points, and a minus-3 in the series, but for the first time in his career he actually seemed to give a damn. Congrats, Joe. It’s almost like you’re a hockey player.

Yes, sir, it’s a whole new Thornton. Wait, hold on. He skipped out on the media after the loss? Hmm ha. That’s just Snow Thornton being Snow Thornton. Nice to know some things never change.

The Sharks have to blow it up. It’s over. It’s all over. They’re never going to win anything with Thornton and Patrick Marleau as the headliners. But who is going to want those contracts? Marleau’s got one year left at $6.3 million, while Thornton is locked in at $7.2 million through 2010-2011. Good luck with that.

Columbus would actually make a lot of sense. The Blue Jackets have tasted playoff hockey; they can’t rest on their laurels. They’ve got the cap space, and Thornton would be the perfect centerman for Rick Nash. The Sharks will never get player-for-player value for Thornton. They need to grab picks and prospects and run like hell. The Bruins don’t look so stupid now, do they?

Yeah, I realize Thornton isn’t the only reason the Sharks tank every year, but he’s the face of this team. The Fish need a new identity. They need to turn the page. Otherwise, it’s going to be more of the same next year. Thornton, Marleau, Evgeni Nabokov, and those dreadful clown costumes for 82 games, and then another early exit. But at least Jeremy Roenick won’t be there, so that’s something.

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