Joe Thornton out several weeks with MCL injury
After being injured a couple nights ago, San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton is expected to miss several weeks.
Late in the third period Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton suffered what appeared to be a right knee injury. That was confirmed on Wednesday, with Thornton declared out indefinitely with a medial collateral ligament issue. That’s been updated a bit, to a likely several week absence for Thornton.
“It looks like it’s MCL related,” general manager Doug Wilson told The Mercury News. “It looks like he’s going to be out for several weeks, anyhow. Our policy is if it’s more than two weeks, we let you know.”
Thornton is second on the Sharks with 36 points (13 goals and 23 assists) in 47 games this season, and he has a team-leading seven power play goals. San Jose is second in the Pacific Division right now with 59 points, behind the upstart Vegas Golden Knights, with the Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings both sitting close behind at 57 points.
Thornton missed the first two games of San Jose’s playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers last spring with a left knee injury, and he had surgery on the MCL and ACL in that knee during the offseason.
Wilson seemed to hint strongly at Thornton being out longer than two weeks. In his 20th NHL season at 38 years old caution will surely be the word, with the idea of having “Jumbo Joe” good to go for a playoff push.
Thornton signed a one-year, $8 million deal to come back the Sharks in July, so retirement may be on his radar after the season. He is currently 16th all-time in scoring with 1,427 points for the Sharks and Boston Bruins, with 1,030 career assists that have him just three behind Mario Lemieux for 11th on that list.