NHL Free Agency: Joe Thornton said he had ‘a ton’ of offers

After Joe Thornton re-signed with the San Jose Sharks on a one-year deal, he said he had ‘a ton’ of offers from other teams. Unsurprisingly, the veteran forward was likely being pursued by almost every NHL organization.

Earlier today it was reported that Joe Thornton signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the San Jose Sharks. This massive salary for a 38-year old was followed by the statement, from Thornton himself, that he had ‘a ton’ of offers from other organizations.

This is not at all surprising for a seasoned veteran of the NHL. Despite being 38-years old, he still has much to offer at the NHL level. Any forward that can contribute 50-plus points in a season where they were 37-going-on-38 that has a letter on their sweater is a hot commodity in the league.

While Thornton tied a career-low with seven goals last season, San Jose isn’t worried. The analytics speak for themselves, andThornton still is an effective forward that should, and now is, being paid some very good money.

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When looking at the analytics, Thornton ranked among the best on the San Jose roster last season at the age of 37. In 79 games played he had a Relative Corsi-For percentage of 3.28, which was good for third on the entire team for skaters who appeared in 41-or-more games. The only players who fared better than Thornton were Norris Trophy-winning Brent Burns (4.59) and Tomas Hertl (4.72), who only played in 49 games.

For those of you who don’t follow analytics as closely, being third on a team that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs is extremely impressive. When you take into account that said skater, Joe Thornton in this case, was 37 years old, it makes it all the more impressive. Whether or not it is $8 million worth of impressive is another argument on its own.

All analytics courtesy of Puckalytics.