Report: Kings have been in contact with Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton must be a fan of the sunshine.
The San Jose Sharks forward is a pending unrestricted free agent and has had some talks with a fellow California-based club, the Los Angeles Kings, according to LAKingsInsider.com's Jon Rosen.
I've always more or less expected Thornton to re-sign in SJ. But I've also heard from a source that LA considers Joe to be a "priority."
— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) June 27, 2017
Thornton - who turns 38 on Sunday - has been with the Sharks since the 2005-06 season during which time he has amassed the third-most points in the league, trailing only Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
The veteran center is coming off a down year that saw him tally just seven goals and 50 points, which are both his lowest totals in a full 82-game season since his rookie and sophomore seasons, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Kings also appear to be a questionable fit for Thornton given they already have Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter playing down the middle on the team's top two lines.
There is also the fact that the Kings are the Sharks' biggest rival, which would certainly leave some fans in San Jose a little sour.