Three Teams Emerge As Frontrunners For Longtime NHL Captain

Then Sharks are in the middle of an ugly rebuild. The team finished with the fourth worst points percentage and least amount of wins in the entire league last year and this year could be just as bad if not worse after the departures of Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. As such, it is expected that the Sharks will once again be sellers at the trade deadline. Players like the team's captain, Logan Couture, no longer meet the team's window of competitive hockey. Other teams around the league sense this and have reportedly been asking about the 34-year-old center.

Three teams that have reportedly been in contact with Mike Grier about his team's captain are the Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, and Washington Capitals.

While the Sharks have been loyal to Couture throughout his career, just about anyone on the current roster not named Eklund, Bordeleau, or Thrun, is fair game to be traded in the coming years. Couture has four years left on his contract including the 2023-24 season and he comes with an 8 million dollar cap hit.

All of that being said, the Sharks captain is currently dealing with an injury sustained during training camp. He has yet to play a game this season although recent reports indicate that he is close to making a return.

This current injury is unlikely to be a factor in trade talks this season as a trade most likely will not come until the trade deadline. However, Couture will turn 35 this season and with three years left after this one, injury concerns and concerns of declining play will likely lower his value on the trade market.

As seen on Bruins Reportedly in Trade Talks for Current NHL Captain