The San Jose Sharks will have been waiting a long time for good news when it comes to their captain Logan Couture, and he should finally play his first game of the season on Saturday.
The 34-year-old veteran suffered a lower-body injury during his summer preparation. He was forced to miss training camp and the team's first 45 games and was out longer than expected.
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This setback had a major impact on Couture, who saw the Sharks suffer two 10-game losing streaks. He said in December that he didn't know if there was “a light at the end of the tunnel” regarding his fitness. The Ontario native believed his career could have ended this way as he was normally expected to reach the 1000 game mark between 2023 and 2024.
Couture should be in the squad for the game against the Anaheim Ducks at the SAP Center. On Thursday he completed the second row in training with Fabian Zetterlund and Alexander Barabanov.
Last year, the captain was the Sharks' most productive forward with 67 points in 82 games. His final point of the campaign, scored on April 10, was the 700th of his career.