Bruins Trade Thornton to the Sharks

The struggling Boston Bruins traded captain Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night in exchange for three players.

The Bruins get forwards Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau and defenseman Brad Stuart for Thornton, who signed a three-year, $20-million contract with Boston in August and was once thought to be the future of the franchise.

“He is a leader who scores points and makes other players around him better,” San Jose General Manager Doug Wilson said in a statement.on the team’s Web site.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Thornton, 26, has nine goals and 24 assists for Boston, which has lost nine of its last 10 games and is in last place in the Northeast Division.