Is Joe Thornton preparing for a PTO?
This past week, Jumbo Joe Thornton was spotted in San Jose, which had many speculating over whether or not a return was in the cards for the veteran forward, who also happens to be a UFA.
The Sharks were quick to shoot down the idea, stating that Thornton was simply in the building to visit old teammates and that there were no talks of a potential contract going on. Well, on Saturday, Thornton was spotted with the Sharks once again - this time, on the ice.
It's really anyone's guess if anything comes from this. It could simply be the Sharks allowing Thornton to skate with his former teammates to get his legs going and to stay loose in case a contract offer comes in or in case Thornton decides to sign a PTO.
Since Thornton is the Sharks' 2nd all-time leading scorer, a PTO might make some sense in San Jose, but with the Sharks insisting that they aren't engaged in talks with Thornton's camp, it's probably unlikely.
There's also the possibility that Thornton, now 43 years of age, could be contemplating retirement. If this is the case, there would be no better team with which to sign a 1-day deal in order to retire a Shark.
Thornton spent 15 seasons in San Jose, playing 1,104 games and notching 1,055 points with the Sharks.
