There's not really much to be said about this one, so I don't even think a jump is necessary. $7 million is well below Thornton's market value, and the 3-year term jives both with Joe's stated distaste for long-term deals and the closing of the Sharks' current Stanley Cup window. Thornton, Marleau, Heatley, Pavelski, and Boyle will all be unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2013-14, and if the current group doesn't win a Cup between now and then, you have to expect some major changes to be coming during that off-season. Heck, Thornton even took a pay cut in absolute dollars to make the salary structure work; at least Marleau can say he got a raise. You have to think that Thornton would have commanded at least Brad Richards' $7.8 million salary on the open market, so this is a substantial pay cut indeed.
This is the fruit of the tree, the flip side of the Wallin deal - when you treat your players with respect, honor your word, and do your best to make them feel like part of the family however long they wind up staying in San Jose, players like Joe Thornton notice, enjoy, and return the sentiment. So the next time you think about complaining about Wallin, think about that for a little bit.
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