Thornton does not want to live San Jose, and the Sharks will most definitely be in the running for a playoff spot if not a top team in the west. Going through that division, Vegas is still nasty, but Anaheim is just getting older and they seem to have lost hope, Vancouver is still in tanking mode honestly, Arizona is better but not by much, Kovalchuk doesn't make LA that much better, and McDavid still can't backpack Edmonton the whole way. San Jose will be a top 3 team in that division if not win it so moving Thornton is unlikely. Wayne Simmonds might be that great RW rental option with a low cap-hit for what he is worth now that they have JVR depending on where they're at come Xmas

You think Trouba is taking 6 mil after reports say he wanted that 2 years ago and now wants 8?

Of all the players that look like they won't sign long term with their current team, it's Trouba. Doesn't really matter what Trouba (or the Jets) want. He's a two year arbitration (maybe 5m) or a trade by the Jets. Just so unlikely he is a Jet long term.

Which reports say that he wants 8 and which reports say he wanted 6. He wanted at least 5.5 million 2 years ago and wanted to play RD. The jets were not willing to give him that 2 years ago because they weren’t sure he was worth that money. And no reports have Trouba asking for 8 million because even trouba knows they he is not as good a OEL. Trouba has also said he wants to stay in WPG long-term. At very most Trouba will get 6.5 million per (from a team that is not WPG). He gets 6.25 per at most in WPG.