Report: Maple Leafs, Predators have reached out to Thornton

The Toronto Maple Leafs are among a long list of teams that have reached out to pending unrestricted free agent Joe Thornton, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

The Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators are two other teams who have reportedly expressed interested in Jumbo Joe.

Related: Report: Kings have been in contact with Thornton

Thornton, 37, could very well go down as the best player in NHL history to never win a Stanley Cup, so he is likely looking for a team that gives him the best chance to win.

The Leafs aren't as far off as some think.

With the core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander all on entry-level contracts, the Leafs have a rare window of competing for a Stanley Cup while their best players are making pennies.

When the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews had a combined cap hit of $1.725 million. When the Pittsburgh Penguins made the finals in 2008, both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had a cap hit of less than $1 million.

Thornton, a native of St. Thomas, Ontario (about two hours from Toronto), would join Matthews, Nazem Kadri, and Tyler Bozak, to give the Leafs arguably the best center depth in the NHL.

More importantly, Thornton would provide substantial veteran leadership for one of the youngest teams in the league.

Thornton had a down season by his standards in 2016-17, recording just seven goals and 50 points.

Nonetheless, the familiarity between the future Hall of Famer and Leafs head coach Mike Babcock could help the two sides come to an agreement. Thornton played under Babcock for Team Canada at the 1997 World Junior Championships, the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

As for the Predators, they just came up two wins short of a Stanley Cup. They have an obvious need down the middle. After Ryan Johansen, their center depth consists of Calle Jarnkrok and Colton Sissons - both fine players, but neither should be playing in a top-six role.

Thornton would not only fill a positional need in Nashville, but a leadership and offensive need as well. Team captain Mike Fisher,a pending UFA, could potentially retire, and James Neal was scooped up by Vegas in the expansion draft.