The Florida Panthers continued their hot streak with the addition of Joe Thornton. While he is not the dominant player he once was, he is still a great leader who can fill an important depth role and guide the troops in the right direction. That being said, Thornton just signed a one-year deal (750K$) with Florida.
The Lightning signed the aging Corey Perry, so the Panthers countered with the addition of Joe Thornton. Personally, I prefer Perry because of his ultra-powerful leadership, which has virtually no equals. But that doesn't stop it from being a great move by General Manager Bill Zito.
Not surprisingly, Thornton turned 42 on July 2, making him an old man in terms of NHL age. Last year, he had a total of 20 points in 44 games, and he is still able to slow down the game. For his career, he has 1529 points, including 1104 assists, in 1680 games. That's a big number!
Not one to rest, Zito is preparing his team to defeat their Tampa Bay foes, having signed Sam Reinhart to a three-year deal earlier this week. Anthony Duclair also extended his stay in Florida on July 15, as did Sam Bennett on July 26.
