The uncontracted Thomas had decided to defer contract talks until the season was up and running after undergoing ankle surgery post-season that saw him have a delayed start to the year.
However, he required further surgery after just five games this season when he suffered a different injury to the same ankle.
The best-case scenario was that he would return at about round 20, with the hope that he would be back to fitness and form to have an impact on the finals if Collingwood made them.
Buckley was not expansive when asked about whether progress had been made in relation to Thomas's contract beyond this season, but he answered yes to the question as to whether he was confident the 25-year-old would remain at the club.
He said he had felt no need to discuss the situation directly with Thomas.
He also made a pointed statement about Thomas's rehabilitation process.
"Daisy's (Dale Thomas) major focus has been about getting himself right. He's hobbling around in the boot at the moment, getting bigger and stronger…for Collingwood," Buckley said.
Thomas is a restricted free agent, meaning Collingwood could match any offer made by another club.
Carlton CEO Greg Swann – who was at the Magpies when Thomas joined Collingwood – said on SEN Radio a fortnight ago that a pay cut to former skipper Chris Judd had created significant space in the Blues salary cap, enough to chase a player of Thomas's dollar value.
Swann did not however indicate that the Blues were after Thomas.
He said any presumption Carlton might have an advantage in securing Thomas, because of good relationships with Mick Malthouse and Swann himself, were overblown.
"It's hard to get them out of Collingwood, and I think people like to tell that story and you've said that he's close to Mick and maybe he's close to myself, but he's a lot closer to Heath Shaw and Dane Swan and all those guys," Swann said.
Thomas has played 157 games and was a key player in the Magpies 2010 premiership. He finished third in the club best and fairest that year and was All-Australian in 2011.
