Thornton hoping to stay put: ‘I’m a Shark’
Forget about duplicate knee surgeries just 11 months apart. Forget about the helpless feeling of watching his Sharks teammates lose in the playoffs. And forget about an uncertain future in San Jose.
One thing Joe Thornton retains is a sense of humor. Asked if he’ll trim his bushy, gray-streaked facial hair, Jumbo Joe said: “Oh, no. Keep it tight.”
The 38-year-old cornerstone of the franchise has every intention of returning with that trademark beard for at least another season. He and fellow top-line forward Evander Kane headline a group of Sharks free agents whose employment status for next season is uncertain.
“There’s no secret, I’m a Shark,” Thornton said Tuesday as the team gathered one last time this season, two days after exiting the Stanley Cup playoffs. “I want to come back, and I know I’m going to be healthy when I come back.”
Thornton said that the surgery on his right knee in late January was the same procedure he had last offseason to repair the torn MCL and ACL in his left knee. He said he had been close to being able to return; his rehab was complete and the knee just needed more time to get to full strength.
Thornton overcame a slow start to score 26 points in his final 28 games before sustaining the knee injury on Jan. 23. Having played 961 games over 13 seasons in San Jose, Thornton said he’d be OK with a one-year deal similar to the one he signed after close friend and teammate Patrick Marleau left the Sharks last summer.
“I don’t think there’s a player I’ve met in this business in 40 years who I respect more than Joe Thornton,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “He’s incredible. I look forward to sitting down with Joe and his agent very quickly.”
Thornton has plenty of support from teammates and the coaching staff, too.
“He’s one of the legends of the game statistically and onice talent,” defenseman Brent Burns said. “He’s definitely the best teammate I’ve ever had. We’re lucky to have him.”
“We love Joe Thornton,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer added. “The last 10 games he played for us he might have been our best player. I have no doubt — and I told him — that he’ll be able to come back again.”
Kane is another asset the Sharks would like to fit into the payroll, which includes nearly $24 million in cap space. Acquired from Buffalo on Feb. 26, the powerful left wing scored nine goals and 14 points in 17 games as the Sharks finished with a 11-5-1 run to reach the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons.
“Getting traded here was great to be a part of a winning environment again,” said Kane, who battled a separated shoulder and strained MCL late in the season. “Getting to know the guys, the coaching staff and the organization as a whole definitely helps, and definitely gives me an idea about San Jose, the city and the fans.
“It’s been really positive and I’ve enjoyed my time. Nothing is set in stone, nothing has been talked about and we’ll take it from there.”
Wilson’s policy is not to talk about negotiations, but he did say about Kane: “I think he’s a difference-maker. I’ll be dealing with his agent in the next little while.”
And those in the room want to see him sign long-term.
“With open arms, I would,” DeBoer said. “He added a big dimension to our team.”
Added center Chris Tierney: “We were missing a piece there, especially a ... guy who can put the puck in the net and he took a little pressure off everybody, being able to come in and score. The team would love to see him back.”
Veteran forwards Joel Ward, Jannik Hansen and Eric Fehr gain unrestricted free-agent status July 1. Under contract for $4.25 million next season, veteran defenseman Paul Martin might be a candidate for a buyout.
And like he did with goalie Martin Jones and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic last summer when they were a year away from unrestricted status, Wilson hopes to extend the contract of Logan Couture, the team’s talented 29-year-old two-way center.
Wilson also suggested DeBoer and his staff will return.
“Our coaches did a very good job,” he said. “Yes, they are our coaches going forward.”