Breaking: Joe Thornton officially signs on for one more year

This just in, future Hall of Famer Joe Thornton has officially signed a one year contract with the San Jose Sharks.

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According to a report from Sharks insider Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, Thornton’s new deal is worth $2 million. 

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The 40 year old Thornton put up 16 goals and 51 points in 73 games with the Sharks last season and is just 22 points shy of hitting 1,500 over his entire 21 year career.

Thornton’s deal leaves the Sharks with just a little over $2 million left in cap space for the 2019-20 season. Not bad considering Sharks GM Doug Wilson locked up superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson to an $11.5 annual contract just prior to the opening of free agency. Now… with that $2 million, could Wilson bring back former Sharks captain Patrick Marleau? 

Don’t count on it…

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Sharks are simply not interested in Marleau’s services.

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Interesting. So… where does Marleau look now? The 39 year old is coming off his lowest point total in a full season since his rookie campaign way back in 1997-98, but is still a valuable player given his strong defensive ability and his outstanding skating. He might be the fastest 39 year old to ever play in the NHL.

Could a young team like the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers or New York Rangers use Marleau’s experience? 

Or, maybe Marleau is looking for one last chance at the Stanley Cup? If that’s the case, he’d be a perfect fit on a team like the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues or Boston Bruins. 

Maybe he wants to return home to California? Or the west coast in general? If that’s the case, the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks could all be potential destinations.

Wherever he ends up, let’s just hope that Marleau manages to earn himself a contract before the season starts. There just aren’t enough old guys left in this league.