Joe Thornton's career appears to be over

Is this it for Jumbo Joe?

43 year old Joe Thornton is still without a contract for the upcoming season and, according to an Instagram post from his wife Tabea, he won't be returning to the Florida Panthers.

”South Florida, I loved our time together! This break-up hurts and I will miss you,” Tabea wrote on Instagram earlier this week. 

If that's indeed the case, I can't imagine Thornton landing a deal elsewhere. After all, he put up just five goals and 10 points in 34 games with the Panthers last season. He also had a pretty lackluster campaign with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020-21 after 15 seasons with the San Jose Sharks. I'll say it right here, right now... this guy is cooked.

Thornton is no doubt a future Hall of Famer, but at 43 years old he simply doesn't have the wheels to keep up at NHL pace. His instincts and his passing ability are still superstar level, but he just doesn't have the gas in the tank anymore.