The stock could have gone down also. Total comp cannot take the upside of the stock.

You could have invested in the same stock and receive the same upside also. This is part of the luck in being in the right company or pick the right stock. That's why Total comp should be the number you got with the information you got at the time of the offer

Yes it can. I don't say my total comp in a given year was my salary and the target performance bonus. I say it was my salary and my actual bonus. Stock comp is much the same.