SAN JOSE — Once the Sharks allowed Joe Thornton’s contract negotiations to reach this stage in the game, a conversation with the Los Angeles Kings was inevitable.

The Kings are the Sharks’ closest geographical rival, they play in an even sunnier part of the state and the mere idea of No. 19 feeding passes from the half wall in a silver and black uniform is more excruciating than hearing Cartman scream, ‘Go Kings Go’ over the Staples Center’s PA system.

By allowing the NHL Draft to come and go without inking Thornton and Patrick Marleau to new deals, the Sharks gave the two cornerstones of their franchise an opportunity to interview with other teams for the first time in their careers in Teal, and they’re taking full advantage.

Thornton is talking with the Kings, according to L.A. Kings Insider Jon Rosen, and Marleau is reportedly in conversation with the Kings, the Anaheim Ducks, the Nashville Predators, the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes.

The news might be distressing for Sharks fans, but it shouldn’t be. It’s simply part of the negotiation process.

Both players are looking for multi-year contracts and they gain leverage by showing management that there’s a high demand for their services. Speaking with a hated rival, such as the Kings, just reminds general manager Doug Wilson of what could be at stake if these future Hall of Famers enter unrestricted free agency Saturday.

In short, a conversation with the Kings right now is just that, a conversation.

2. The list of reasons outlining why Thornton could move to L.A. is compelling. It’s relatively close to San Jose, Thornton is tight with general manager Rob Blake and player development consultant Glenn Murray and the Kings need someone who can slip the puck into the high-danger areas on the ice.

But the argument for why Thornton would choose the Sharks over the Kings is logical: he wants to win.

Adding one of the best passers in the history of the game to a roster with Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick would certainly get the Kings back in the conversation, but it would be a step backward for Thornton at this juncture in his career.

Despite the strength of the Kings’ core, the team lacks depth on the blue line and high-end speed at forward. At this point, they’re stuck behind the Sharks, the Edmonton Oilers, the Calgary Flames and the Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division’s pecking order.

If the Kings are going to compete for another Stanley Cup, they’ll need to rebuild their supporting cast, and at this stage in his career, Thornton, who turns 38 on Sunday, doesn’t have time for reclamation projects.

Why gamble on a partial rebuild when the Sharks will be returning a large chunk of the roster that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 with young talent bubbling up through the pipeline?

3. Thornton’s conversations with the Kings could be about leveraging Marleau’s negotiations with the Sharks as much as his own.

At this point, most pundits agree that Thornton is more likely to return to the Sharks than Marleau and he might use his standing with the franchise to give Wilson a gentle nudge.

During NBC Sports’ coverage of last week’s draft, TSN’s Bob McKenzie suggested that Thornton is likely to push for Marleau’s return to club in his negotiations with the organization, an idea that’s gaining a lot of traction this week.

Thornton and Marleau both signed three-year contract extensions with the Sharks on Jan. 24, 2014 because they want to finish the job together in San Jose.

Wilson will be more inclined to bring Marleau back into the fold if he senses it’s an all-or-nothing deal.

4. The longer the Sharks go without making a major trade, the more likely it is that both veteran forwards will re-sign with the team on Saturday.

The Sharks will only let Thornton or Marleau walk if they can replace them with a younger, elite-caliber forward. They won’t be finding that type of player on the free-agent market.

Beyond Thornton and Marleau, the top-pending unrestricted free agents at forward are Alexander Radulov of the Montreal Canadiens, Patrick Sharp of the Dallas Stars and Mike Fisher of the Nashville Predators, two aging veterans (Sharp is 35, Fisher is 37) and a wild card (Radulov has played one season in the NHL since he returned from the KHL, where he played from 2012 to 2016).

In short, the Sharks aren’t going to cut ties with Thornton or Marleau unless they have a firm backup plan in place.

5. The Flames acquisition of New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic over the weekend might have helped the Sharks in a roundabout way.

Of course, the Sharks would have preferred it if Hamonic wasn’t joining a blue line with Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie and Dougie Hamilton, but the trade might give them a better chance to acquire Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene.

The Islanders were believed to be leaders in the Duchene sweepstakes, but now that Hamonic is off the table, it might be hard for Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic to land the top-pairing defenseman that he wants in return for the former-Olympian.

With that being said, it might make sense for Sakic to cut his losses and strike a deal with the Sharks, who have an arsenal of talented prospects down with the AHL Barracuda.

Acquiring Duchene would allow the Sharks to part ways with Thornton or Marleau while getting younger, faster and maintaining that one-two punch down the middle. Sakic, meanwhile, could bring in two or three top prospects while avoiding the likelihood that another year of Duchene rumors will poison his locker room.