Joe Thornton responds to retirement reports and speculation

Is this it for Jumbo Joe?

43 year old Joe Thornton is still without a contract for the upcoming season and, according to an Instagram post from his wife Tabea, he won't be returning to the Florida Panthers.

”South Florida, I loved our time together! This break-up hurts and I will miss you,” Tabea wrote on Instagram earlier this week.

If that's indeed the case, I can't imagine Thornton landing a deal elsewhere. After all, he put up just five goals and 10 points in 34 games with the Panthers last season. He also had a pretty lackluster campaign with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020-21 after 15 seasons with the San Jose Sharks. I'll say it right here, right now... this guy is cooked.

With reports swirling that retirement is on the horizon for Thornton, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reached out to Jumbo Joe for a comment.

"I have no plans. It's kind of exciting that way. I've been privileged to play this game for a long time, so I don't take anything for granted. But I never think 'what ifs' to be honest, I just try to live in the moment and go from there."

That's not exactly an admission of retirement, but it's also not a denial...

Thornton is no doubt a future Hall of Famer, but at 43 years old he simply doesn't have the wheels to keep up at NHL pace. His instincts and his passing ability are still superstar level, but he just doesn't have the gas in the tank anymore.