The Florida Panthers announced on Thursday morning that Shawn Thornton has been resigned by the team to a one-year contract extension.Per General Fanager, the contract is worth a base salary of $600,000, with incentives for games played, and a Cup Victory.
My thoughts on this signing boil down like this:
From a hockey standpoint, there is not much to discuss. Thornton is a player of limited NHL skill. Everyone knows this, even those who love him. He is the Panthers #13 forward, at best, and his low value contract is appropriate given this truth. Could the Panthers get someone more efficient for this role? I would say yes, and they wouldn’t have to look far. The fact he could be potentially taking a spot away from a young player, such as Connor Brickley, is a potential problem in my mind. The Panthers, despite being in first, are still building with an eye to the future. Young talent still needs to be nurtured, and I’m skeptical that giving these roster spots to vets like Thornton is best for development.
That said, I do not think Thornton, individually, is the problem. The drop off in talent between he and a young player is probably is not that steep within the context of the team itself, with no future considerations. I think there is a larger over-arching issue here about holding young players back, but that’s a topic for another day.
The big thing championed about this deal is Thornton’s off-ice presence. No doubt he’s well thought of, and I won’t discount that out right. A locker room is not a sterile place where numbers exist in a vacuum. Personalities have to be tied together, and move towards a common goal as a unit. There is something to be said about guys who bring the group together. Based on what is said by folks who know and interact with Thornton, he sounds a lot like the rug from The Big Lebowski.
“That Shawn Thornton really ties the room together, Dude.”
That being said, it is a phenomenon you have to take people’s word for. We, as fans, do not see or know what Thornton does in the room. As a result, I’m uncomfortable making the leap of faith required to use this as an outright positive for the signing.
Ultimately, there comes a time where the value of this abstract concept outweighs the tangible contributions made. I can only hope that there will be a willingness to move forward, should the need be recognized by those in a position to.
Short version: I have reservations about this deal, but I don’t really hate it. I’m neither happy nor unhappy. I just hope this doesn’t impact the Panthers long-term progression by holding young players back.
