The San Jose Sharks announced on Sunday that Logan Couture suffered a concussion, after being hit by Alexander Burmistrov. The hit came late in the third period of Friday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. Couture missed the remainder of the game. There’s not a defined timetable for his injury yet. Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer, said that Couture’s status is day to day, “We’ll see how he feels every day and go through that (concussion) protocol, and see where that takes us.” The team’s leading scorer has reportedly not attempted any sort of physical exertion since the hit. He’s guaranteed to miss Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and may miss the entire week’s worth of games.
Logan Couture Out Day to Day with Concussion
Couture leads the team in goals and points so far this season. He has 15 goals and 26 points in 31 games. The Sharks are obviously losing a lot of manpower. The area that will see the most noteworthy weakening is the team’s power play. Couture has four powerplay goals, and ten overall points on the PP this season.
In Couture’s absence, Tomas Hertl is moving into a centre role. Previously, Hertl usually lined up as Couture’s wing. The 24-year-old has 18 points so far this year and could be a reliable centre for the team. Averaging over 18 minutes of ice time a game, the Sharks clearly trust Hertl. With the move to a spot at centre, it’s likely he gets tested even more.
The Sharks are hoping Mikkel Boedker will fill the hole made by Hertl moving to centre. Bodeker has missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury but has been skating at practice. On Monday, he lined up with Kevin Labanc and Hertl. While it’s not guaranteed, he could make his way back into the lineup Monday evening. If he isn’t able to, the Sharks will likely throw Daniel O’Regan into the lineup.
SAN JOSE, CA – JANUARY 26: Logan Couture #39 of the San Jose Sharks skates against the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center on January 26, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W.
