Joe Thornton pretty much can call his own shots at this point.
The San Jose Sharks veteran is on a cheap deal that expires after this season and comes with a full no-move clause. With the Sharks all but eliminated from postseason contention, it seems likely San Jose will sell at the trade deadline (they started with Brenden Dillon), and with the 40-year-old Thornton still without a Stanley Cup, the Sharks sound amenable to moving him if he wants to go to a contender.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, Thornton was asked point blank if the idea of waiving his no-move clause and getting traded to a contender is at all tempting.
“You know, it is,” Thornton said. “But it’s not like I feel like this is my last year. I feel like I’m healthy, I feel like I still have a lot in the tank left. It’s not like a last-hurrah-type thing. I feel good, and my mind feels great. It’s not like, ‘Oh, this is going to be my last shot at it.’ So that’s where my mind is at right now.”
The Boston Bruins, the only other team Thornton has played for over 22 NHL seasons, and the Colorado Avalanche have been kicked around as possible landing spots for Thornton.
The NHL trade deadline is Monday at 3 p.m. ET.
