Sharks center Joe Thornton is on the team’s three-game road trip. But fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see him suit up in game action.
Coach Peter DeBoer told media members Thursday that Jumbo Joe will not play Friday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. DeBoer told the media ahead of the Sharks’ trip that Thornton’s status continued to be day to day, and that he was continuing to receive treatment for his surgically repaired knee.
This will be the eighth game in a row that Thornton has missed during the young season. He contributed to the Sharks' overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 5 before leaving the early season five-game road trip.
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With Thornton’s return still unknown, there has been a lot of speculation as to when rookie forward Dylan Gambrell will make his first NHL start of the season. The 22-year-old has jumped back and forth between the Sharks and the Barracuda through the first few weeks of the season, rejoining the AHL affiliate to get in game time. He has notched five points (three goals, two assists) in three games for the Barracuda, including a power-play goal.
Even though San Jose has won its last three games, the lack of production from the Sharks’ fourth offensive line also has ramped up discussion around whether Gambrell will pencil into the game-day roster. The current combination of Barclay Goodrow, Melker Karlsson and rookie Rourke Chartier have a combined one goal on the season thus far, which was a short-handed tally from Goodrow on Oct. 9 against the Philadelphia Flyers.