Wilson not saying whether Thornton would be back next season
So how much more change will there be to the Sharks roster?
There should be some, but after completing some of the heavy lifting earlier this week with a pair of trades, maybe not as much as one might think.
As the NHL prepares for the first day of free agency, questions loom about what will happen between the Sharks and their own pending unrestricted free agents — Joe Thornton, Melker Karlsson and Stefan Noesen.
There’s also the question of how much help the Sharks, who have only so much room left under the NHL’S salary cap, will seek to add from the outside.
Thornton, Karlsson and Noesen will be free to sign with other teams this morning, when the Sharks, too, have the opportunity to bring in more fresh blood to try and return to the playoffs next season. The Sharks traded for goalie Devan Dubnyk and forward Ryan Donato earlier this week to address two areas of need.
“You’re always open and exploring,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said this week. “If we look at players that fit for now and the future, and there’s somebody that fits, we will look into it. I’ve said it several times: Our best players have to be our best players. They have to set the tone.
“But do you look at ways to add to your team? Yes, Whether that’s in a bigger deal or around the fringes, those are the things that we’ll be talking about in the next few days and see what makes sense.”
Noesen and Karlsson would figure to be players who could easily fit in with the more structured mindset that coach Bob Boughner wants to employ next season, potentially at economical prices.
Karlsson, 30, has been a reliable depth forward for the Sharks for years and is one of the team’s leading penalty killers. But the three-year contract he signed in 2017 carried a $2 million annual cap hit. Unless he takes a pay-cut and
agrees to a shorter term deal for his next contract, his days in San Jose may be over.
Then there’s Thornton, the franchise icon who has done everything in his Hall of Fame- caliber career except win a Stanley Cup. He bleeds teal, no question, and he wants to continue to play.
But it’s possible that Thornton, 41, may also want to assess where the Sharks
stand after free agency in the coming days before he makes a decision on where he would like to play next season. The Sharks addressed two areas of need with Dubnyk and Donato, but would still appear to be a long way from being legitimate Cup contenders.
Thornton’s production dropped from 51 points in 2018-19 to 31 points last season, but some of that had to do with the effectiveness of his linemates.
Thornton, Kevin Labanc and Marcus Sorensen formed an effective trio two years ago, but were not able to re- create that same magic last season. Thornton also had other linemates throughout the 201920 season of varying experience and skill level.
Thornton did not hide his disappointment in February when the trade deadline came and went and he was not dealt to a Cup-contending team.
“I’ve been hunting this thing down for 22 years, so I wanted another shot at it,” Thornton said Feb. 25, a day after the deadline. “I wanted to get something (for the Sharks) in return. It just didn’t work out. Back to the grind, and that’s how it is.”
Toronto has been rumored as a possible destination for Thornton, and there may be Cup contending teams that could use a third-line center that remains durable.
But no course of action appears to be set in stone at the moment.
Wilson said discussions with his pending UFAS were ongoing, and that Thornton remains in Switzerland. As well, the Sharks will have another hole to fill at third line center if Thornton is not re-signed, although they may feel Joel Kellman or Dylan Gambrell could fill that role.
The Sharks and Thornton have shown patience before. Last season, Thornton and the Sharks did not announce a new contract for 2019-20 until a week before the start of training camp.
Still, Wilson has shown he is willing to let go of cornerstone players, with Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski signing elsewhere as free agents in 2017 and 2019, respectively.
Wilson said he recently spoke with Thornton and added, with a smile, that “he was shoveling snow. But he said it was warm enough and he didn’t have to wear a shirt.”
Wilson said he also has to factor in how his younger players are progressing, and whether they’re ready to become full-time Nhlers.