Rumors swirl as Thornton mulls future
The San Jose Sharks officially welcomed back one franchise icon Patrick Marleau on Tuesday.
Might they have to, though, to say goodbye to another in Joe Thornton?
Thornton, 41, remains without a contract but has stated unequivocally that he would like to play again next season, presumably with a team that is more ready than the Sharks to challenge for a Stanley Cup.
“My feelings for Joe Thornton and Patty Marleau (go) beyond respect,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said Tuesday. “These guys love the game, what they’ve done for this franchise. But players have choices, and I want them to do what’s right for them. We want to treat everybody with great respect.”
A Thornton departure, should it happen, would mark the third time in four years that a team cornerstone has left as a free agent. Mar
leau signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017 and Joe Pavelski signed a threeyear deal with the Dallas Stars last year.
“(Thornton) knows how we all feel about him,” said Wilson, who spoke to Thornton two days ago. “The feelings that we have for Patrick when he left and came back, the feeling that we have for Joe Pavelski, for Jumbo, anybody that’s been here and contributed to this franchise for a long time, there’s a special place in our hearts.”
Last Friday, on the first day of free agency, Thornton told Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic that he was going to take his time before he decides where he would like to play in 2021.
With Marleau and Nieto solidifying their forward depth, and veteran goalie Devan Dubnyk and forward Ryan Donato also in the fold, the Sharks might be in a better position to make the playoffs than they were prior to the start of the 2019-2020 season.
Even with those additions, though, it would be a stretch to consider the Sharks legitimate Cup contenders after they finished third-to-last in the NHL last season.
With that in mind, Thornton would have every right to examine the landscape before he decides where he would like to play next season. Thornton has 1,509 points in 1,636 career NHL regular season games over 22 seasons, including 1,055 points in 1,104 games with San Jose.
“We communicate quite a bit, quite often,” Wilson said of Thornton. “We want what’s best for Jumbo and for everybody involved.”
“If Joe came back, we’ve had a lot of years together, so that would be a comforting thing for myself and I’m sure a lot of other guys,” Marleau said. “Not too sure what he going to decide to do, but would love to be able to be on the same club as him as well.”