Joe Thornton tested the free-agent market last summer before ending up back in San Jose on a one-year Bills Phillip Gaines Jersey , $8 million deal.

If Thornton has his way this offseason, he’ll sign with the Sharks again before hitting the open market, even if it has to be on another short-term deal.

”It’s no secret I’m a Shark,” Thornton said Tuesday. ”I bleed teal and I want to come back and I know I’m going to be healthy when I come back. I’m sure we can figure something out, but I want to come back.”

Thornton spoke as the Sharks packed up for the summer following a second-round loss to Vegas. Thornton missed that series with a major right knee injury that had sidelined him since Jan. 23 but expects to be fully recovered by next season.

Thornton turns 39 in July but still was performing at a high level before tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee in January. Thornton had a similar injury to his left knee late last season and played four playoff games before offseason surgery but wasn’t able to make it back this year.

”I don’t think there’s a player that I’ve met in 40 years in this business that I respect more than Joe Thornton,” general manager Doug Wilson said. ”He’s incredible. … I look forward to sitting down with Joe and his agent very quickly. He’s an inspiring man, what he’s done to this organization. He was playing really well prior to getting hurt, and even his leadership after, being around the guys and what he does. He’s a special, special guy.”

Thornton said he’s willing to sign a one-year deal again and would be willing to take less money if it helped the team acquire other players.

While Thornton started slowly this season as he worked his way back from surgery in April 2017, he was back to his usual form by late November. He had 11 goals and 15 assists in his final 28 games before the injury.

Thornton has been a leader ever since arriving in San Jose in 2005 and is the greatest player in franchise history. He ranks 12th in NHL history with 1,030 assists and is 16th with 1 Youth Dorian O'Daniel Jersey ,427 points. With seven more games, Thornton will become the 19th player to reach the 1,500-game mark for a career.

”I think we’re all blessed to play with a guy like that on the ice, off the ice,” defenseman Brent Burns said. ”He’s one of the legends of the game, statistically, on-ice talent and what he does for everybody off the ice. He’s definitely the best teammate I’ve ever played with. We’d be lucky to have him.”

Thornton’s pending free agency is just one of the key decisions the Sharks will have to make this offseason. Midseason acquisition Evander Kane also can hit the market this summer. If he signs, they owe Buffalo a first-round pick in 2019. If he leaves, that pick becomes a second-rounder.

Kane provided a major boost when he was acquired from Buffalo at the trade deadline in February. He had nine goals and five assists in 17 games, providing needed speed and physicality on San Jose’s top line.

That carried over to the first round when he had three goals and an assist in a sweep against Anaheim but Kane wasn’t nearly as effective against Vegas as he played through injuries to his knee and shoulder.

”I think he’s a difference-maker,” Wilson said. ”He came in here, and I talk about our leadership and our culture Cheap Mike McGlinchey Jersey , I think he really appreciated that. We appreciated him. I think it was a good fit for him, it was a good fit for us.”

Eric Fehr is another potential free agent who could be back, while forwards Joel Ward and Jannik Hansen are expected to leave this summer. San Jose also must reach deals with restricted free agents Tomas Hertl and Chris Tierney, and can begin negotiating extensions with captain Joe Pavelski and center Logan Couture in July.

The Sharks have plenty of projected salary cap room to make those moves and also could look to add a big-ticket player like John Tavares of the New York Islanders if he hits the open market.

”I’m excited for this team,” Thornton said. ”A lot of guys made big leaps this year. I’m sure teams are always adding new things or trying at least to add new things. But if you’re a Shark fan, you’ve got to be excited for this team still.”

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Chris Paul didn’t want to talk about his postseason failures, not after Houston’s win Tuesday over Utah finally got him into the Western Conference finals.

”For us it was just … they were in the way,” Paul said. ”So we were just trying to get another win.”

His Rockets teammates saw it a little differently. They were eager to talk about Paul’s dominant performance, including a playoff career-high 41 points, in a 112-102 victory in Game 5 that eliminated the Jazz.

”He went out there and took over the game,” James Harden said. ”(To have) an opportunity for him that he’s never had before. He went to go get it. He put us all on his back and said listen: `I got us.”’

Paul made eight 3-pointers and had 10 assists and seven rebounds without a turnover. He’s the first player in playoff history to have at least 40 points and 10 assists without a turnover since turnovers became an official statistic in 1977-78, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

”The performance that Chris put out there – if he didn’t make it out this time Vontaze Burfict Bengals Jersey , something’s wrong,” coach Mike D’Antoni said.

It will be Houston’s second trip to the Western Conference finals in four years and the first ever for Paul. The point guard, who is in his 13th NBA season, has been panned for failing to get past the second round in his nine previous trips to the playoffs.

While he wouldn’t talk about finally getting over the second-round hump, he had no problem discussing how much he’s enjoying this season.

”It’s just fun,” he said. ”It’s not about the points or anything like that. It’s about the process.”

Houston will meet Golden State in the conference finals beginning Monday night at home.

Paul is a nine-time All-Star in his first season with Houston after an offseason trade from the Los Angeles Clippers. His previous career-best in the playoffs was 35 points, which he accomplished three times.

Star rookie Donovan Mitchell had 22 of his 24 points for Utah in the third quarter before leaving with about seven minutes left with an apparent left leg injury. The team didn’t provide an update on his condition after the game, but he was wearing a walking boot on his left foot.

”Unhappy with the results, but happy with everybody as a whole,” Mitchell said.

Houston returns to the conference finals for the first time since 2015. It’s the second straight season the Jazz lost in this round after being swept by Golden State last season.

The top-seeded Rockets led by eight points after a 3-pointer by Paul with about six minutes left. The Jazz scored the next seven points, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Royce O’Neale, before Paul made eight quick points to push Houston’s lead to 105-96 with about three minutes left.

Joe Ingles made a basket for Utah before Paul added another basket to make it 107-98. The crowd began chanting ”CP3” repeatedly as Paul dribbled down the court on the next possession.

The Jazz were without Ricky Rubio and Dante Exum because of hamstring injuries. Rubio has missed the entire series with his injury Authentic Customized Eagles Jerseys , and Exum was injured in the third quarter of Game 5.

P.J. Tucker scored a playoff career-best 19 points, and Harden added 18 points on a night he was ”under the weather,” according to D’Antoni.

Mitchell’s huge third quarter left the Jazz up by 3 to begin the fourth. Derrick Favors made a layup for Utah to start the final quarter before Paul and Tucker hit consecutive 3-pointers to put Houston back on top 81-80 with about 10 minutes left.

Utah regained the lead on a basket by O’Neale before Houston used an 11-5 spurt, with the first five points from Gerald Green, to take a 92-87 lead with about seven minutes left. Harden capped the run with a dunk after stealing the ball from Mitchell. Mitchell was injured on that play and grabbed his left leg. He had to be helped to the bench and was quickly taken to the locker room with the help of two people.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Alec Burks scored 22 points off the bench. … Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. … Mitchell finished 9 of 17 on field goals. … O’Neale had 17 points.

Rockets: Houston made 18 3-pointers to give the team 10 or more 3-pointers in an NBA playoff-record 16 straight games. … Clint Capela finished with five blocks. … The Rockets had 10 steals on Tuesday for their fourth game in the series with 10 or more.

THEY SAID IT

Mitchell on what coach Quin Snyder’s message was to the team after the loss: ”I was so upset I wasn’t listening. I’m not going to lie to you.”

WHAT A PRESENT

D’Antoni turned 67 on Tuesday and said this game was the best present he’s ever received.

”Without a doubt,” he said. ”Especially at this age.”

UP NEXT

Houston will host the first two games of the conference finals against Golden State or New Orleans.

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