The deal came without warning, and it rocked the NHL: On Nov. 30, 2005, the Boston Bruins traded “Jumbo” Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Brad Stuart, speedy forward Marco Sturm and third-line center Wayne Primeau.

At the time, the Bruins were reeling. Their Calder Trophy-winning goaltender, Andrew Raycroft, had lost his form, and the team was losing apace. Thornton, despite leading the team in scoring (33 points in 24 games), was taking heat. Sound familiar?

Thornton was a 26-year-old captain then. Some thought he was too young and immature to bear the burden of the “C.” Some wondered where his power game had gone and why he no longer spent much time in front of the net. His play was described as disengaged, lackluster and indifferent.

Mike O’Connell, the Bruins’ general manager at the time, decided he no longer wanted to wait for Thornton to fulfill the lofty expectations that were placed on him back in 1997, when he was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. O’Connell shipped off his superstar for three lesser players in an effort to plug holes and change the culture. O’Connell was fired four months later.

There are numerous differences between the Thornton situation in Boston 61/2 years ago and the current Rick Nash situation in Columbus.

“They’re not at all alike,” Thornton said yesterday morning.

Thornton and the Sharks were in town to play the Blue Jackets, and the game did not follow form. R.J. Umberger, who might be on the trading block, had a Gordie Howe hat trick; Jeff Carter, who is definitely on the block, had two goals; and Nash, who is famously on the block, added a highlight-reel goal. It all happened in the first period.

The Jackets won 6-3, and there were eight scouts in the press gallery.

Earlier, Thornton was asked about whether Nash’s situation gave him flashbacks to 2005. Thornton was not exactly warm to the subject, but he was gracious enough. He did not allow for any parallels, but there are a few, nonetheless.

Nash is 27 years old, huge, and in his prime. He is a former No. 1 overall pick and is among the elite power forwards in the NHL. The league was turned on its ear when word leaked that he is available to the right team, at the right price.

Thornton and Nash are friends. They scored at will as linemates in Davos, Switzerland, during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. They were key parts of the Canadian national team that won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Thornton was asked what his first thought was when he heard of Nash’s availability. Thornton just smiled. Not going there. He was asked whether he ever entertained the idea of having Nash, once again, on his left. He smiled again, and dodged.

“You’re just so focused on what you’re doing day to day,” he said. “I really don’t pay attention to what’s going on with other teams.”

Asked if he has spoken with Nash lately, Thornton smiled again. It has been suggested that Thornton might be doing some recruiting. Not going there, either.

San Jose has been mentioned as a possible place of landing for Nash, for two reasons: The Sharks, for all of their size and talent, have not been able to push through to the last round of the playoffs; and, of course, there is the Thornton-Nash connection.

The Jackets must be asking for a huge ransom — one much larger than what the Bruins got for Thornton. A steep price plus Nash’s large contract make the Sharks an unlikely trade partner. Boston might be a better fit, or the New York Rangers, or the Los Angeles Kings.

It might be that nothing gets done before the trade deadline. Perhaps a deal will have to wait until the summer, when teams have more flexibility. There is an off chance that Nash will stay right where he is, but if he moves, Thornton’s name will come up by way of a blockbuster comparison.

The Bruins, under GM Peter Chiarelli, ultimately won the Stanley Cup. It happened last summer, in spite of the Thornton deal rather than because of it.

Michael Arace is a sports reporter for The Dispatch.

marace@dispatch.com