SAN JOSE — Joe Thornton wants to use the Sharks’ final game of the preseason to continue to work on his timing and improve his in-game conditioning.
The 82-game regular season that follows will show what Thornton is still capable of doing after enduring major knee surgeries in back-to-back years, and where and how much he’ll be utilized.
“Every day he looks better,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of Thornton. “Being off for eight months, he worked his ass off this summer in order to compete in training camp. Initially when he hurt (his knee in January), I might have predicted that he might not have been able to compete in training camp this year right at the start.