from Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News,

... in a phone interview with Wilson later Friday, the general manager insisted there was "zero chance" that he would be trading Thornton. The Sharks need him, Wilson said, to be part of the veteran base as they restock their roster with draft choices in need of development. Wilson added that if Thornton had heard the Thursday remarks in total context during the fan Q-and-A, he would not have perceived them in such a negative way.

For the record, if Thornton has been bothered on the ice by his captaincy diss, that's hard to see. He has 57 points in 64 games. That does not match his peak years. Yet as of Friday, he was still among the league's top six assist men and top 25 scorers.

Thornton has not slacked on defense, either. And by observation, his Sharks teammates do not seem to have lost any respect for him. There might even be empathy for his situation. In a dressing room popularity election between Thornton and Wilson, it's a sure bet Wilson would finish second. The sharpest portion of Thornton's verbal blast Friday was the accusation of Wilson "lying." The next sharpest, though, was the pointed reference Thornton made to not taking "a sabbatical" and being "here every day working hard." There's a segment of the Sharks' roster that believes Wilson misses too many road games and is not in the office at home as much as other general managers. The league obviously doesn't keep stats on that stuff. But even if the facts don't 100 percent match the accusation, it doesn't matter. If enough players believe they do, perception is reality.

Wilson, when asked about that perception, said that when he's missed road games this season, it's because of time he's spent analyzing prospects for an upcoming entry draft that will be very crucial for the Sharks. Also, the team's minor league AHL franchise is moving from Massachusetts to SAP Center next season, which has taken many planning hours.

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