ANAHEIM — Pete DeBoer says the “million-dollar question” in the Sharks opening round series with the Anaheim Ducks is whether Chris Tierney’s breakthrough season will carry into the Stanley Cup playoffs, giving his team the matchup edge it needs down the middle.

Good question. But it isn’t the million-dollar question.

The question that everyone in Sharks Territory is asking right now is a little more obvious: when is Joe Thornton returning to the lineup?

Thornton almost blew up the Twitter machine Thursday when he joined his Sharks teammates for pregame warmups in Anaheim, but it proved to be false hope. DeBoer said Thornton took warmups because he wants to be part of the group and “obviously, he’s making progress.”

In other words, 11 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, Thornton is getting close — really close. And conventional wisdoms suggests the Sharks can buy even more time, for Thornton and for DeBoer, by winning Saturday night to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report newsletter.

Thornton made it abundantly clear this week that he isn’t going to return if it’s going to create a “distraction” in the middle of the playoffs. He wants to make sure that once he rejoins the lineup, he’s in for the remainder of the playoffs, and contributing in a positive way.

He took a different approach last fall.Thornton skated on the first day of Sharks training camp in September, less than five months after he underwent surgery to repair tears to two ligaments in his 38-year-old left knee.

As a result, he struggled over the first seven weeks of the season, losing races to pucks, failing to accelerate, and eventually suffering a compensation injury that set him back even further. On Nov. 12, DeBoer acknowledged that he probably couldn’t pull Thornton out of the lineup if he wanted to, joking that, “he’s a lot bigger than me” and saying, “at 80 percent, he can still help us.”

But the Sharks can’t settle for 80 percent this spring unless it’s time to hit the panic button.

Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation.

When Thornton battled through the first 16 games of the season, the team was in a different place. The Sharks were struggling to absorb the loss of Patrick Marleau, they ranked 31st in goals-scored (43) and looked very much like a bubble team.

They needed Thornton, even at 80 percent.

Now, it’s unclear exactly how Thornton will fit into the lineup when he’s ready to go.

The Sharks are a dramatically different squad in the wake of general manager Doug Wilson’s trade for Evander Kane at the trade deadline Feb. 26. The team is 12-5-1 with Kane in the lineup (including Thursday’s win), they’re playing with speed and they’ve found an identity without Thornton.

Adding Thornton to the mix at “80 percent” could jeopardize the team’s chemistry and momentum. It would also force DeBoer to make some hard choices.

Will he throw Thornton right back up onto the top line with Kane and Joe Pavelski? What if he slows them down? Will Thornton be willing to play an reduced role, seeing minutes on the power play while centering a bottom line?

Why tackle these questions in the middle of a playoff series unless it’s completely necessary for the team’s survival?

As long as the Sharks continue to stay ahead of the Ducks, there’s no reason for Thornton to return in the opening round and cause a potential distraction. But if the Sharks find themselves in trouble later in the series, bringing a future Hall of Famer back into the mix could give the team a jolt, create matchup headaches for Ducks coach Randy Carlyle and ultimately change the dynamic on the ice.

It’s a heck of a trump card to be holding in your hand if you’re DeBoer, who completely dismissed the suggestion that the timing of Thornton’s return could depend on the Sharks standing in the series.

Related Articles Boughner, Wilson explain how they plan to bring Sharks back to contention

Sharks name Bob Boughner coach — now comes the hard part for Doug Wilson

Former Sharks providing full value to Stanley Cup-bound teams

Home sweet home? Giants, visitors at Oracle Park, tie franchise record in win

Sharks will soon make Bob Boughner their full-time coach, per report “Regardless of where this series ends up, whether we’re down, up, facing elimination, we’re going to do what’s right. He’s going to do what’s right,” the Sharks coach said. “We’re not looking to buy time, we’re not looking to rush him back if we get into a spot where we’re in trouble. It’s too serious an injury and he’s too valuable a guy.”

DeBoer’s claim is hard to believe considering that Thornton rushed back from an even more serious-knee injury in the playoffs last season. The Sharks coach also sent out mixed messages about Thornton’s health earlier this year and was deceptive about the nature of Martin Jones’ midseason injury.

At the end of the day, he isn’t going to show his hand when he tackles this million-dollar dilemma. Although he should tip off the folks at Twitter, they might need some time to prepare.