Cheechoo a Bust, or Thornton a Legend?

Less than a year after the Sharks traded Jonathan Cheechoo to the Senators, he has been placed on waivers. Cheechoo came from San Jose with Milan Michalek in exchange for embattled superstar Dany Heatley. The trade has worked out well for all involved...besides Cheech. Heatley is putting together an all-star year in San Jose, the Senators don't have to deal with his trade demands any longer, and Michalek is leading the Sens with 20 goals. But things have not worked out for Cheechoo, the forward from Moose Factory, Ontario. He has 14 points on five goals, and has a plus minus of -13. He simply isn't helping the Senators win.

Players get waived and signed daily. This isn't the story. The story is that Cheechoo was a Rocket Richard Trophy winner (most goals scored in a season) only four years ago. He racked up 56 goals for the Sharks which is still a San Jose franchise record. His electrifying style of play and unrivaled enthusiasm made him a crowd favorite in San Jose. But after a series of nagging injuries, Cheechoo never returned to form and was relegated to the third line. He never recaptured his goal scoring form, and was traded this past off-season to Ottawa.

It really is a shame that Cheechoo has been labeled a bust or an underachiever. This whole saga reveals only one absolute fact: Joe Thornton is the best hockey player in the World. Thornton is the first line center for the Sharks. He dished out many of the assists for Cheechoo's 56 goal season. After the injuries, Cheechoo never got reunited with Thornton and his play suffered drastically. Last season, Sharks youngster Devin Setoguchi had a breakout year, scoring 31 goals and tallying 65 points...Surprise, Surprise: Seto was a winger on Thornton's line. This year, after a few injuries, and relegation to the second and third lines, Setoguchi has only 14 goals through 49 games. Meanwhile, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley, both playing alongside Joe Thornton, are having career years.

Cheechoo's situation is certainly disappointing, but to label him a bust is not fair. He benefited from one of the greatest passers of all time, and hasn't caught many breaks since. Hopefully he lands on a team where he can just play hockey and help his team win some games.