Joe Thornton takes his quest for a Stanley Cup to the Florida Panthers

As Joe Thornton looks to win a Stanley Cup before his career is over, he has agreed to terms with the Florida Panthers.

If he retired today, Joe Thornton would be a sure-fire Hall of Famer even without one big thing on his resume. On Friday morning, the 42-year old officially agreed to a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers.

According to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, the deal is worth the league minimum $750,000 and has no bonuses or incentives.

Panthers general manager Bill Zito talked about what Thornton brings to the table.

“With more than 1,600 games played in the NHL, Joe will bring a wealth of experience to our locker room and lineup,” said Zito. “His drive to succeed is unmistakable and we are thrilled that he chose to sign with our club and that he believes in what we are building here in South Florida.”

Thornton’s 1,680 career regular-season games are second-most among active players, and the sixth-most all-time. His 1,104 career assists are seventh-most all-time. In 186 career playoff games, he has 134 points (32 goals, 102 assists).

Joe Thornton continues his quest to win a Stanley Cup

Thornton signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs last offseason. In 44 regular-season games, he posted 20 points (five goals, 15 assists), and he had one goal in seven playoff games.

The Panthers are coming off a regular-season where they set a franchise record for point percentage, but then they bowed out of the playoffs in the first round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Lightning. They notably added center Sam Reinhart via a trade with the Buffalo Sabres this offseason as they look to get over the hump. With Joel Quenneville behind the bench, they are in a win-now window with high expectations.

There’s a line to be drawn somewhere, at some point. But Thornton is not ready to call it a career, and he clearly sees the Panthers as a contender as he tries to win a Stanley Cup.