Sharks GM Doug Wilson hasn't shut door on Joe Thornton return next season

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton is getting up there in age. By the time the 2020-21 season rolls around, Thorton will be 41 and the only player in the entire league older is Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara.

With the current NHL season on pause due to the coronavirus outbreak, the possibility Thornton returns next year probably is high. However, would Sharks general manager Doug Wilson have any interest in bringing the old-timer back to San Jose? He hasn't shut the door.

“Everybody knows how we feel about Joe,” Wilson said, according to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. “I talk to him every few days. He’s probably climbing the walls not being able to be at the rink. But like every other player, I’ll sit down with him and do the evaluation at the end of the year. But I think you all know how we feel about him.”

The evaluation will then lead to a decision, of course, but when asked if Jumbo Joe will be back next season, Wilson didn't say too much.

“He’s a special man,” Wilson said. “That’s all I’ll say.”

Wilson isn't the only one who has to make a decision on Thornton's future with the organization, though. The big guy himself will need to decide on whether or not he wants to remain in San Jose.

Around the trade deadline this season he reportedly wanted out of San Jose in order to have a better chance at winning the Stanley Cup, but when that didn't happen he apparently was pretty upset with Wilson.

So, who knows, maybe he'll draw some interest during the offseason and decide to test the market.

Whoever takes a gamble on Thornton would be receiving veteran leadership and a strong player. Thornton has notched seven goals and 24 assists this season for 31 points on one of the NHL's worst teams... not bad for a 40-year-old.