SAN JOSE — Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau appear to be headed into uncharted waters.
Unless the Sharks re-sign the pending-unrestricted free agents to contract extensions Saturday, both players will receive the opportunity to start interviewing with other teams for the first time in their careers with organization on Sunday.
Thornton and Marleau are both slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
In his 12 years with the Sharks, Thornton has signed three contract extensions with the team (2007, 2010, 2014), all three-year deals, without testing the free agent market. Marleau has re-signed with the Sharks four times (2005, 2007, 2010, 2014) during his 19 seasons with the club without entering unrestricted free agency.