How Both Boston And San Jose Won The 2005 Joe Thornton Trade | NHL Trade Trees

Steve Dangle takes a look back at one of the most famous Boston Bruins trades when they sent Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks back in 2005. How could Boston possibly come out on the positive end of this? Find out here!
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[@AEMoreira81]

The real benefit for Boston though was that the savings from not keeping Joe Thornton were used to sign Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard as free agents. Chara, who earlier this season passed 1000 games played as a Bruin (currently at 1553 games overall), helped lead the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup. Savard, who was about a point per game with Boston until he was concussed out of the league, put up 305 points in 304 games with Boston. He likely would have finished a long career in Boston if not for concussions.

[@KevinLacy22]

Thank you! That's exactly what I came on here to write. I'm completely baffled this was omitted because that was the biggest payoff for Boston in this trade, though it was nice to see Sturm, Ference, and Seidenberg get some well-deserved respect.

[@yellsatcloud175]

Same

[@dennisfontler7443]

Great! I scrolled down to write this as well but you made it much more elegant then I would have. :)

[@michaeledwards2869]

Well said.. I have never been a fan of Mike McConnell but sending Joe out and keeping and building around Patrice was golden . Did cost McConnell his job though.

[@closethockeyfan5284]

Savard gets massively underrated because he suffered a career-shortening injury. In my opinion, the Bruins won the Cup without their best forward available.

[@forgottenfamily]

I've heard that Bruins believed: 1) Thornton wasn't their guy, but this Bergeron kid might be 2) That 2011 vindicated that call

[@AEMoreira81]

Also...Thornton means no Chara or Savard.

[@camblakeley4546]

Thornton traded in 2005-06. The very next season, the bruins had a #1 centre of Marc Savard. A #2 centre of Patrice Bergeron and #3 centre of Marco Sturm. Not to mention, adding 6'9 Zdeno Chara with money saved. The trade itself sucked. But the way the Bruins organization used it, is phenomenal

[@wyomingptt]

Thornton > Savard + Bergeron + Sturm

[@matthewschwartz2225]

Sturm was a left wing on the Bergeron line. Not a center

[@martinzetak3621]

@@wyomingptt said no one ever

[@MrBazz420]

that was pretty much the conclusion of the video...

[@Phil.The.Lumberjack]

@@wyomingptt Thornton < Savard + Bergeron + Sturm + Stanley Cup

[@cmd31220]

This is the quintessential hard work trade. The initial return isn't what you wanted, so you grind it out and work with what you've got until the return IS what you want. And I'd call half a cup-winning defense a pretty good return, even if it IS for a guy as good as Jumbo Joe

[@SamuelDuplessis12]

This is probably one of the videos, he was supposed to vault before Leo came along.

[@thegamingconnoisseur4151]

Someone is paying attention

[@Geetargyro]

I was at the stars vs sharks game when this was announced, with a sharks fan. Such a crazy night lol

[@cantthinkofaname7247]

I still can’t believe Steve is a dad

[@braydenoneil2129]

wait what

[@braydenoneil2129]

@Travis Reyna well I see that now... also I had no clue that I commented on this video

[@bento8]

It was not intentional, he was tricked into it

[@richbaker8211]

The Bruins recovery from that initial trade is fascinating. I love these trade trees!

[@jackschuller3795]

Do one on Rick Nash to the rangers.

[@josepha4736]

Ah Pre-Baby Steve

[@2buxaslice]

As a kid I remember being ok with the Thornton trade because it got O'Connell fired. But he did draft Bergeron and Krejci so he wasn't that bad I guess.

[@AEMoreira81]

Talk about a long time ago. I forgot that Bergeron was already over the 1,000 games mark (1,089 to date).

[@Oxmustube]

O'Connell chose to build around Bergeron instead of Thornton. No Bruin fan is angry at that.

[@Esper320]

Those picks were actually in part due to the current Rangers GM who had them as well as Marchand. Still got OConnell sacked

[@2buxaslice]

@@Esper320 I wish the B's had kept that guy, he's got a really good eye for talent.

[@ShantyIrishman]

Three ways to get a number one center, either through the draft, free agency, or a trade with the Boston Bruins.

[@davidbuswa9425]

Or if you want a number one franchise goalie make a trade with the Laffs

[@MarkBoese]

...and Thornton has how many Cups? lol...

[@justincredible5414]

@@MarkBoese umm. None... Zero

[@nikhilmandava4149]

@@MarkBoese How are cups relevant to the talent and skill of a player?

[@alwaysmeepin9609]

@@MarkBoese yeah, like why does everyone think this Connor McDavid guy is so good? He has zero cups, like same with Leon Draisital, zero cups like they must suck.

[@Sandman60077]

Chara and Sidenberg on the blue were a force that shut other teams down night in and night out.

[@rocketours9459]

"It's incredibly rare for the first overall pick to not play in the NHL the year after they're drafted." Erik Johnson. He got drafted by the St-Louis Blues in the 2006 Entry Draft ; he never play the 2006-07 NHL season. He started his career the year after, in the 2007-08 season, with the likes of Price (5th Overall in 2005), Jonathan Toews (3rd overall in 2006), and Patrick Kane (1st overall in 2007).

[@jaredsmith1829]

I love Jumbo Joe, because the 97 draft year was the same as my dad but sadly his dad didn’t have enough to pay for his hockey career, and my dad was a stud playing around Alberta.

[@johnnydalomba6344]

As a bruins fan I feel much better about that trade after watching this. Ference and Seids were key guys on that cup team.

[@SoftBank47]

I remember going nuts when we got Ference. Even though all I knew about him was from NHL 2K, I figured the Bruins had done damn good in that trade.

[@sebastiansuppes6565]

At 10:41 Steve makes the most casual 69 joke of all time. You're welcome.

[@CraftierAverage]

Papa Steve!

[@kennycai8695]

Oh, I remember this trade. I also remember the main reason certain Bruins fans were whining about this trade was cause they did not get a "big name" in return. The Bruins definitely won this trade if you count asset management and Stanley Cup Finals appearances (Thornton 1, Bruins 3), but knowing that loud and vocal minority, they want to win a trade AND have an iconic player on their lineup to show for it. I don't know, it's probably more for bragging rights, but if you are a Bruins fan, you're still happy, right? 3 Cup Finals appearances in the past decade, and winning 1 too. Asking for more is just being greedy at this point.

[@ariccua6101]

Alright, who's here because Joe Thornton IS A LEAF?!

[@lucaspaliouras-loureiro7496]

Not to mention TJ Brodie who’s also a part of this trade

[@ariccua6101]

@@lucaspaliouras-loureiro7496 That is right! Brodie and Thornton, who are Leafs teammates, are in this trade tree.

[@jakethesnake982]

@@ariccua6101 I was about to come comment this, I was thinking the whole video huh this seems to involve a few Leafs players now lol

[@stuebes177]

You should break down one of the James Neal trades. Either his initial trade to Pittsburgh, or Neal for Hornqvist

[@yeehawt0wn]

Instead of Cody Eakin, the Jets should’ve traded for Jumbo Joe as the second line centre. Imagine a line with Ehlers/Thornton/Laine and hey, Laine always wanted a playmaking elite centre

[@MichaelSchiz]

what about the Tomas Tatar trade from the Red Wings to the Golden Knights? lol a weird one

[@Krokodilius]

so what we've learned from boston trades over the years: trade away top stars for nothing and somehow still come good.

[@jakeiacono7127]

I still to this day remember the day and time and where I was when I heard Joe had been traded. Absolutely crushed with what we got in return. Hindsight we didn't do to bad.

[@patricktremblay4573]

Nice video! You should do the trade that sent Craig Rivet to SJ from MTL!

[@MEKBricks]

You should do Linden to the Islanders for McCabe, Bertuzzi, etc. That is an insane trade that is still going!

[@dpoulin93]

Please do the Greg Rivet trade from Montreal to San Jose that included a first round pick which became Max Pacioretty, who was then traded to Vegas for Tomas Tatar & Nick Suzuki.

[@jamescluff5071]

Seidenberg was so underrated... always loved his game.

[@michaelrudd518]

I was and I wish we sent him to the Ducks. Burke spilled on what he would have moved and it would have been wayyyy better.

[@blillie06]

Lupul, 1st, and choice of Getzlaf or Perry.

[@michaelrudd518]

Brian Lillie I wrote a little article about what I think the return could have been if your interested.

[@michaelrudd518]

Brian Lillie www.believeinbostonsports.com/2020/04/07/thornton-to-the-ducks/

[@jessecamilleri23]

The trade that made me a san Jose fan. A few days before my first game in Toronto

[@NotTHEColinDoyle]

the foreshadowing for him to come to the leafs is impeccable

[@jamiedeshaies3333]

Both teams benefitted, but this trade really helped the Bruins forge a new physical defensive identity with offensive talent and win a cup in 2011. Ever since they've been a thorn in the habs and leafs side. I'd say the bruins won this one in the end. But the Sharks still greatly benefitted from it

[@karolinechrzanowski-sears3951]

Haha this is great! As a Bruins fan who remembers when Thornton was a Bruin, I console myself with the 2011 Cup win, so that's a plus :-P

[@nskr160]

Basically, the Boston Gm(s) were rockstars after making the ultimate goof.

[@exturkconner]

Sturm was a great Bruin and was a part of a couple of lines that were at time the best in hockey. His career ended on a whimper and it really never made sense. He was traded for future considerations that were disclosed to be nothing. You literally traded him for nothing to clear cap space. And he went on to play pretty well after coming back from a pretty major surgery. He was on pace to have his career average in both goals and points. It was as if the team who traded for him somehow was expecting him to get better after the surgery instead of worse. Shocking and weird. He didn't get worse he stayed pat and still didn't get played. Sucked. Guy was a speed demon excellent two way forward. He'd be great in the current version of the game for sure.

[@jhope1923]

Trying to imagine a world where the Bruins had Thornton, Bergeron and Krecji up the middle. As a Habs fan, I don’t want to think about it.

[@floridamanpresents3952]

I like this guy. Keep on keepin on

[@gosharkz8863]

As I am watching this Jumbo Joe just signed with Florida

[@primopica5619]

love the videos!! and congrats on becoming a father!!

[@mikeyoungblood1642]

Hated the trade as an 11 year old Bruins fan who suffered thru the 04-05 lockout…but loved Marco Sturm…still didn’t get enough for Jumbo Joe

[@primeapegaming4277]

How about jumbo being the very first player to score 40 points for 2 teams in one season

[@MayoFilms83]

I was then when he was traded. I was surprised to. Everyone was shocked.

[@ryanjainchill1125]

alex petrovic i believe is on the providence bruins of the ahl at the moment. also i love this trade as a bruins fan. 2011 was a great year

[@normb7114]

I remember that during the entire time Joe was with Boston the sports radio was littered with people yelling & begging for him to be traded, when that day finally came the radio was filled with people trashing the Bruins for trading Joe, ironically I don't remember anyone saying on the sports radio that day saying their prayers were answered by Joe being traded.🤔🤔🤔

[@Calers-gu1ib]

Where any of the people involved with theThorton trade involved with the Tuukka Rask trade?

[@stevencooke6451]

Trading Joe Thornton or Tyler Seguin were not great ideas, but somehow the Bruins same to make up for it later. I'm a Habs fan and live in Toronto so don't enjoy watching the Bruins consistently outperform my teams on the ice and in the boardroom, but have to acknowledge it's a terrific organization who always seem to find great players.

[@ReysonPtel]

10:13 I smiled when we know where this is going :3

[@vinushansinnathamby5713]

Part of the reason why Thornton got traded was because of Bergeron coming up> The GM of the Bruins at that time was saying that Bergeron was more mature than Thorton

[@D-Fens_1632]

Please do the fustercluck between the Blues and Devils with Scott Stevens and Brendan Shanahan!

[@devan1199]

Just gonna mention that the Florida Panthers 2nd round pick Alex Petrovic signed a PTO with Boston at the beginning of the 19/20 season and played in Providence

[@lawrencesvendsen80]

Love these

[@habh8r77]

Im 50 and these trade trees make me feel better....

[@goldtigre4979]

The Bruins have a very interesting history of A+ or F draft picks, and turning average players into fan favorites as smaller parts of trades.

[@azharjanjua1]

how do you make the trade trees

[@wyomingptt]

I mean I get what he's saying, NHL level talent can be hard to come by sometimes, but I mean measuring a players worth by the amount of games he's played for a team just sounds like a bad way of gauging their worth lol.

[@spendstir]

Congrats steve!!!!

[@vilpert]

Steve Dadle

[@jimmyslilfella]

I’ve said it a 1000 times. If Iginla came to the Bruins in 2013, they win the Cup and Iggy would have had his cup moment. Just sayin’.

[@davevictoria661]

Now you're talking my language. Congrats on being a new dad, Steve!

[@bdcmatt9041]

audible chuckle from the Ference finger hahahaha!

[@jamiekoh6113]

Super cool win-win trade. Bruins get laughed at but win a cup at the end. Joe Thornton stamps his name to becoming a first ballot HOFer with his time with the Sharks that maybe doesn't happen with Boston.

[@Asymmetrical-Saggin]

I watched every game Jumbo Joe played for Boston. Was a weird day when he was traded.

[@derechamberlain]

Thornton and Chara would never have been on the same team and we would still be waiting for the Cup. Should have gotten more in the trade but he had to go and it worked out better in the end.

[@cacsports]

Living in Boston when he was traded, SEISMIC is a pretty good description.

[@bigskye606]

Bruins are the only team that seems almost eager to trade top, high profile picks. Thornton, Kessel, Seguin, and now rumoured to be trying to trade DeBrusk, the only useful piece from that 2015 3 1st round picks in a row fiasco.

[@garyb2049]

Boston Bruins .. known for trading prospects way too damn early ( Thornton, Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, Blake wheeler and ect)

[@Oxmustube]

The only one I miss in there is Wheeler.

[@johnnythemachine6949]

Thornton was not a prospect at that Point. He was 26 years old and in his 8th NHL season

[@vanessam8647]

They didnt like Seguin's partying i thought

[@marselvitti]

Phil Kessel is another big one

[@nathanbrisebois8756]

It's never really come around to bite them in the ass though, Boston has to be the most consistent team in The NHL for since they were formed as a team. They rarely have bad seasons even playing in the logjam that is the Atlantic Division

[@danpercz3414]

And I thought Mad Mike Milbury was bad.... oh wait he was!

[@Windyyyyyyyyy]

Mike should’ve never existed

[@matttricomi2259]

T C as a rangers fan i actually feel bad for you that you had to have mike

[@AEMoreira81]

Keeping Jumbo Joe means no Chara though.

[@fakeaccount8678]

Congrats on your kid Steve!

[@JoeBlythe]

So do the Leafs have the only remaining pieces to come out of the Thornton trade in Thornton and TJ Brodie?

[@andyg9797]

Super interesting. I’m a huge Bruins fan and have arguing the Thornton trade was the literary worst trade I’ve ever seen in pro sports but I never saw what the B’s were able to eventually pull from it. Still a terrible trade, at the time and in retrospect, but not the contender for worst ever that I thought it was.

[@sloppysamari]

This is the trade that made me a bruins fan

[@trevorm1876]

Jarome Iginla must've liked Boston because he still lives here, I drive by his house nearly every day.

[@joshgoodwin8029]

I would love to see the Jarome Iginla for Joe Nieuwendyk trade tree.

[@kathrynloudon1543]

I love thorton and always will but this trade meant Wayne primeau moved out of my cul de sac and he was nice and looked like grown up version of my friend, and I think about that to this day when I walk by his old house.

[@force4g258]

I forgot this was about Thornton about half way though

[@williamclark8864]

Hilarious thing - after the Bruins traded Thornton for no draft picks they then did the exact same thing with Seguin.

[@TheSpikestr]

3 FEET OF BEARD AGO GOOD PUN FOR THE TIMES RIGHT NOW

[@melvinberry424]

Still want to see the Pavel Bure to Florida trade tree

[@bullshark3771]

To me jumbo joe will always be a Bruin. I was born in 96 saw him play in a bruins jersey 15 times. I loved Marco strum too but he will always be a shark to me.

[@TimestampGuy2020]

That neck to shoulder ratio 🤣🤣

[@jacobmarsh191]

Oh if only past Steve knew where jumbo would go

[@WickedAwesomeStacey]

Nice new phone buddy

[@billmichealoff9549]

I think the B's made a big management change after that trade.

[@jennybetts2464]

As a Sharks fan I love Jumbo. I feel bad for him because he is so great but has never held the cup. I honestly thought last year they were going to do it. They were going to win for Joe. It was very disappointing. Awesome games, but disappointing for Thorton. 😔

[@phreak811]

So.....The Thornton side will NOT continue as he left the Sharks for HC Davos then signed with the Maple Leafs. They let him walk at seasons end and CURRENTLY he is signed with the Florida Panthers.

[@blillie06]

Even if the outcome was better for Boston by winning the cup, it's still a bad trade, especially considering Burke offered them their first, Joffrey Lupul, and their choice of either Corey Perry or Ryan Getzlaf.

[@wcampbell9023]

And now the 2 recent big pieces of this trade are both on the leafs who would of thought?

[@maxpowr90]

Joe Thornton's first NHL goal: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqvTqXSaZ5aMi68

[@dustinrhodes4793]

Sharks fan, yeah still no Cup but only Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner in team history. Franchise leader in assists, 50something pts behind Marleau (in 6 less seasons in Teal) for 1st in franchise history. Best player in San Jose's brief history. Sharks still won the trade in my opinion. Love Jumbo!

[@ryanTDG]

You da man, Steve!

[@CryptidKeeperTCG]

Great moves by Boston... h8 them

[@robobi5840]

I wonder if Cheechoo had a goals scored clause in his contract, something that he never in his wild thoughts he's ever get, then wins the Rocket Richard trophy.

[@pimentovideo1915]

Do the Craig Rivet- Josh Gorges trade

[@bb.cute.channel]

Now he is a Leaf! 👍👍👍👍

[@transistorboy311]

How about Selanne going to Anahiem in 1996 and it helped them grab , Peter Sykora,Rob Niedermayer and Correy Perry for Cup runs in 03 and 07. I can prove it.

[@rocknroll368]

Great deal for both teams. Sharks should have won the cup with Joe in 2006. Edmonton used tough play from Raffi Torres, George LaRocque and others to man handle the Sharks. The Sharks did not have enough grit.

[@AlexLee198604]

It’s weird to see him without a beard!

[@evann-t2915]

Thanks, dad

[@mattblom3990]

For fans here, was Steve Dangle always a Sportsnet talent or did they pick him up at some point (and he started independent on KZbin)?

[@Liverpoolfcfever]

Started independent on KZbin over 10 years ago