San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton has yet to resume skating since having knee surgery in January, leaving Paul Gackle of the San Jose Mercury News to suggest his earliest possible return date will be the final week of the regular season.

Thornton underwent arthroscopic surgery on his injured right MCL on January 25 and his timeline for a return is still unknown.

Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer told Gackle he's not counting on having Thornton back in the lineup anytime soon.

“That’s not even on my radar right now,” DeBoer said. “We’ve got our group and we’re plowing forward. I’m not even thinking about that.”

In 47 games so far this season, Thornton has 13 goals and 23 assists. He is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season. 

Thornton suffered a torn ACL and MCL last season in his left knee which he played through during the playoffs before undergoing surgery in the summer. Despite the procedure, Thornton was ready for opening night, leaving the Sharks with optimism he wouldn't miss much time with his latest injury.

“He’s still around every day and you see him working. You just can’t know what the timeframe is with him. He came back so quickly last time,” Logan Couture said. “He still hasn’t skated, obviously. He has to go through a lot of steps, so we need to focus on the group we do have.”

The Sharks are currently second in the Pacific Division, but sit only two points above the Los Angeles Kings, who are outside the playoff picture. DeBoer said he believes the Sharks can still have success in the playoffs without their top-line centre.

“I like our group. I don’t think you know until you get in and see. You need a lot of things to go right,” the Sharks coach said. “I’ve been to two finals, and I don’t think either year I could have stood here a month before the end of the season and said I feel really comfortable that we’re a Stanley Cup finalist.

“But I think we can compete with anybody, and if we get on a roll at the right time, anything can happen.”

The Sharks conclude their regular season on April 7 against the Minnesota Wild.