HockeyJumbo year for Joe

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One of the best players of this decade. That title sums up Joe Thornton.

Jumbo Joe Thornton has put up numbers, big numbers, for a very long time now.

It's not just the totals, it's how he does it year after year.  Thornton has tallied at least 20 goals and 50 assists for seven straight seasons.  He's averaged just over 91 points per season this decade. He's a Canadian Olympian, a six-time all-star and was the Hart Memorial and Art Ross winner in 2006.

That 2006 season may be the highlight of his career, but the 2010-2011 season may be his most critical, because how he performs could go a long way in determining his future with the San Jose Sharks.

The hulking centre is in the final year of a three-year, $21.6 million US extension he signed with San Jose in the summer of 2007.  At that moment he was one of the most dominant forces in the game and expectations were that he would only get better.

And that's where the debate begins. Was 2006 the best he'll ever be?  His weakness then - and now - is thought to be his inability to have the big game in the playoffs. He has led the Sharks in post-season scoring the past three seasons, but the team has never delivered on the promise.  

In last year's playoffs, Thornton had a strong second-round series against the Detroit Red Wings. But then followed it up with a disappointing one-assist effort in San Jose's Western Conference Final defeat to the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. He finished with 12 points in 15 playoff games and was a dismal minus-11.

Four years after his last scoring title, Thornton is still efficient and a threat to score on every shift. He was eighth in the league in scoring with 89 points this past season.
 
So here's the $7.2 million question: has Jumbo Joe's stock risen or tumbled at the age of 31?

It sure looks like Thornton would leap at the chance to sign another extension to continue his career in California. He recently became a U.S. Citizen, and is building a new home in the Los Gatos-Saratoga area. He and his wife welcomed their first child into the world this summer. Clearly, Thornton is comfortable with his digs in South Bay.

So San Jose's management team has some big time questions to answer.

Does the organization believe Thornton has exorcised his playoff demons? In the twilight of his career, can he deliver consistently for multiple seasons? And what is the right price to pay for number 19?

It will all make for some interesting storylines to follow in California this season.

Will San Jose sign Thornton early on to squash the distraction? Or do they gamble and play out the year to see how Thornton and the Sharks fair this season?

Will Sharks' general manager Doug Wilson trade Thornton at the deadline to get valuable assets in return, or lose him for nothing in the off-season?

It's a tough decision to make with any player. It's even more difficult with a player of Thornton's calibre and worth.

Jumbo Joe has always had a pressure on him. If his future remains in limbo throughout the season, it will only add extra weight onto his shoulders. Maybe it motivates him. How many times have we seen players have "career seasons" in contract years?

Don't be surprised if Thornton finishes Top 5 in scoring this season. He certainly has the all the ammunition to do so, with Marleau and Heatley on his left and right.

Only the hockey gods know if Thornton will be headlining the free agent class of 2011. If you were GM Doug Wilson, what would you do?

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