Thornton signs 1-year deal to stick with Sharks

Joe Thornton has signed a one-year deal to remain with the San Jose Sharks for the 2019-20 season, the team announced Friday.

Terms of the contract weren't officially disclosed, but Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports it's worth $2 million.

"Words cannot equate the impact that Joe has had on this franchise since his arrival in San Jose in 2005," general manager Doug Wilson said in the team's announcement. "Joe is a generational player who seemingly blazes past an existing Hall of Famer with each game he plays. His leadership and dedication to the organization and his teammates is inspiring. He has the rare ability to make the players around him better and we're excited to see him healthy and back wearing the Sharks crest."

Thornton was an unrestricted free agent this summer. His one-year deal is the third in a row he's signed, with each coming cheaper than the last. His contract in 2017-18 was worth $8 million, and he earned $5 million last season.

At 40 years old, Thornton's future following San Jose's elimination in May's Western Conference Final was unclear, but he assured if he came back for a 22nd season, it would only be for the Sharks.

Thornton battled some injuries last season but still produced 51 points in 73 games before adding 10 more in 19 playoff contests.

With each point, Thornton continues to climb the all-time ranks. He currently sits 14th in league history with 1,478 career points and is well within range of hitting the illustrious 1,500-point plateau. He's also eighth all time in assists with 1,065, passing the likes of Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, and Steve Yzerman this past season.