On Monday, we found out that Joe Thornton made the “courageous” (or ... outrageous?) decision to fight through tears to his ACL and MCL and suit up for the playoffs.
(That still warrants a moment of reflection, because, wow.)
The San Jose Sharks sent out a positive update in that regard: after successful surgery yesterday, Thornton is expected to be ready to play by the start of the 2017-18 season.
So, that answers one big question. It doesn’t settle an even bigger one, though: where will Thornton play next year?
Patrick Marleau indicated that he believes he has “at least five good years” left, a fine thought that becomes trickier when you consider San Jose’s salary structure problems for 2018-19 and on. The impression is that Thornton wants to come back, too, but what if he - justifiably - seeks security in a longer term deal?
That situation is currently unclear, but at least it sounds like he’ll be healthy to start next season, whether he remains a member of the Sharks or joins a different roster.