Thornton (groin) resumed skating with the team Wednesday morning and appears ready to play, Harvey Fialkov of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Thornton officially remains on injured reserve for the Panthers, but with the team reassigning Shane O'Brien to the minors earlier Thursday, the winger could be activated in advance of the game against the Avalanche. While his return seems to be on the horizon, Thornton will have a much more difficult time finding a regular spot in the lineup, as the Panthers are already fully healthy at forward.