All of Thornton, Price, Keith and Chara are classic 1st ballot guys. Hard to not see them all go in next year. Reminds me of years like 2007 where you had Messier, Francis, MacInnis and Stevens all go in. How can you bypass any of them? There are strange occurrences such as Hawerchuk for whatever reason not going in back in 2000 on his first chance but then going in for 2001. I have no idea what the committee was thinking then. There wasn't a max on the 2000 picks either, it was just Savard and Mullen. What on earth did they talk about that made them think Hawerchuk didn't belong, especially when they had room to put him in? So something like that could happen. Thornton would basically be Hawerchuk in that situation. So I could see enough on the committee thinking they were the smartest person in the room denying someone like Thornton in there for one year just because. But in all honesty all 4 should be in. Maybe they give Price a year or two to wait, but I still doubt it.
I think Roenick getting in bodes well for someone like Theo Fleury. I think it was alright that Roenick wasn't in as he was a very good candidate for "best forward not in" but once Turgeon and some others got in I figure it opened the door for him. But his outspokenness is something I thought the HHOF would be afraid of, but alas, they aren't. So it helps another outspoken star forward in Fleury. Not to mention Barrasso getting in as well. In his induction speech he didn't sound bitter but thankful. Roenick will likely do the same, and if he does maybe that eases the committee's mind that Fleury would likely do the same in his speech.
Honestly, I think part of the reason they never wanted Pete Rose inducted into the Baseball HOF is because they were petrified at what he might say in his induction speech.