San Jose Sharks: There is reportedly “no doubt” that Joe Thornton will re-sign

Reports seem to indicate that the San Jose Sharks will re-sign Joe Thornton before long, despite the fact that it has taken quite a while this offseason.

The San Jose Sharks‘ primary focus this offseason wasn’t exactly on adding new pieces in free agency. Instead, the Sharks desire was to retain as many of their already established players as possible.

However, one key member of last year’s squad — and a key figure in Sharks history — remains unsigned at the time of writing.

Longtime San Jose legend Joe Thornton remains without a contract even as the month of August slowly winds down. Fortunately, all signs appear to point to the two sides eventually hashing out a deal.

This has been known for months now, but every day that passes without Thornton under contract seems to spark a few questions. Why exactly hasn’t a deal gotten done yet and if one is going to get done, why is it taking so long?

We don’t really have an answer to this point, but the questions may prove moot regardless.

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz has even gone as far as to say that Thornton “will re-sign with the Sharks at some point.” He stated that there is “no doubt” about it. In a recent piece for The Athletic, he even went as far as to declare that a return was “inevitable.”

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And Thornton himself hasn’t exactly been quiet about the issue either.

At the NHL Awards show in June, Thornton told reporters that he would, indeed, be returning to the team for another season. And a reunion between the two sides makes all the sense in the world.

To his credit, Thornton proved last season that he could still contribute at a relatively high level, even at the ripe age of 39. ‘Jumbo Joe’ tallied 16 goals and 35 assists for a total of 51 points.

On top of that, his four goals scored in the postseason (10 points) was good for fifth on the team as he continued to add to his incredible legacy.

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But perhaps nobody brings more value to the team off the ice than Thornton. He is the unquestioned leader of the team and while he likely won’t be wearing the “C” patch on his jersey, his experience and leadership are invaluable to the Sharks organization.

In an interview with NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy, longtime Sharks teammate Logan Couture had the following to say about a potential Joe Thornton departure.

"“He has the invaluable assets that you need in any dressing room. When he walks in, he demands respect, he creates a fun atmosphere and fun environment, I couldn’t imagine playing on a team without Jumbo. My mind just can’t work that out, not having Joe around, because it’s been 10 years with him and it’s been so much fun.”"

Even more encouraging is that Couture said that he had spoken with Thornton around a month ago and the 17-year NHL veteran assured his teammate that he would be back in teal before long.

How long that will be we still do not know. But it does appear to be all but certain that we will see Jumbo Joe back with the Sharks next season.

For now, we can just wait until the official announcement is made.