The Curious Case of Chris Thorburn
Whether you believe it’s game management, coaching bias, GM bias/interference or something else the player that is Chris Thorburn is lightning rod for Jets fans. Some love him, his role his spirit, his nose and even his play while others (myself included) see no value or upside to him on the ice. The key being ‘on the ice’, yet other see no value in him as part of the roster. However, he was extended the night before free agency opened at a 45% increase in salary from his previous deal to 1.2 million per year for three more years.
For the naysayers then they will say ‘how you like’em now?’.
Thorburn is playing just over 5 minutes a game for the Jets, when he plays. His line was used for all of 11 minutes combined on Thursday night against the Wings while his 4th line counterparts all played over 10 minutes, two of them over 12 minutes. But you know all this already because you read
yesterday’s column. But the question still remains why have him if he cant do what the team needs and why was this not identified earlier?
I took a look at cap hits for players like Thorburn here is who is
similar. The link has Cap Geeks total list I’ll highlight the closest below.
Pjaarvi- 1.4
Goc 1.2
Brown 1.15
Thornton 1.2
Condra 1.3
Crombeen 1.15
Bollig 1.15
Mcleod 1.15
Atkinson 1.175
So what I did next was go to Hockey Reference and do a search from 2011-12 (Inaugural Jets season) and the current one for players who have played less than 500 minutes total TOI in one season and more than 450- Thorburn range. I also added a variable of 55 games (Last season’s total for Thorburn) or less. Here is that
that list.
It’s not pretty because unless I missed something there’s not one overlapping player by salary from capgeek other than Mike Brown and BJ Crombeen. Both of those players are equally, if not more, offensively inept than Thorburn. Yet to my limited search and knowledge neither of them are promoted up to the second line when injuries and luck hit, unlike Thorburn.
I don’t begrudge Chris Thorburn a thing. He earned his right to be paid handsomely and play little and I’m sure he’d rather have more ice time but is that even smart? Cleary Pomo doesn’t think so. He starts him almost exclusively as far away from the net as possible and limits his time on ice. In fact that time on ice is on a
slow decline. He has only been on the ice more than 10 minutes 3 times this season and only more than 8 minutes 5 times! In his last 10 games he has broke 5 minutes of ice time only 4 times and only exceeded 6 minutes once.
So why have him? Why not make space for a player who can play, is not a liability on the ice. Wait, if he’s liability why is he so frequently the first guy promoted up the ranks? None of this makes sense and frankly it may have cost the team a win on Thrusday or at least a point because he can’t be played and if he can’t, neither can his linemates, who are better.
Here is Thorburn
displayed by PDO and zone start for his career and it’s all over the map. It’s only getting worse and the Jets have him for two more seasons after this. If he has value like Chevy said he did on June 30th and other teams wanted him then it’s time to let them have him and move away from a player the coach can’t use, or likely trust on the ice.
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