San Jose Sharks get encouraging news on captain’s health
NHL: San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture was originally considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury
SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks are receiving encouraging news on injured center Logan Couture and could know as soon as Monday as to when he might be able to skate again.
Couture was originally considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury and has not practiced so far in training camp. But Sharks coach David Quinn said Couture felt good again Saturday morning as he slowly works his way back from the undisclosed ailment with the season opener now less than two weeks away.
“It really is a pain and comfort situation and he’s getting better and better,” Quinn said of Couture. “He’s in a really good spot. He’s told me today, ‘It’s the best I’ve felt.’”
Couture, 34, was the Sharks’ second-leading scorer last season with 67 points in 82 games. Entering his 15th season with the Sharks, Couture could become just the third player in team history to play 1,000 games for the organization, as he enters this season with 927 games played for San Jose. Couture is fourth all-time in Sharks history with 700 points.
“We’ll know Monday,” Quinn said. “Monday will be another day where he’ll probably try to do a little bit more in the gym and then we’ll evaluate whether he can start skating.”
Having Couture back in time for the Oct. 12 season-opener versus the Vegas Golden Knights would certainly solidify the Sharks at the center position and give Quinn and his coaching staff more flexibility when it comes to deploying their forwards. When healthy, Mikael Granlund has been playing center during training camp, but a healthy Couture would allow Quinn to move Granlund to the wing if so desired.
After Saturday’s home game against the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks finish their preseason schedule with games in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights on Tuesday and in Salt Lake City on Thursday with another game with the Kings.
OTHER INJURY UPDATES: Defenseman Radim Simek, injured in the first period of Wednesday’s preseason game in Anaheim, did not practice Saturday but is feeling better, per Quinn.
“Hopefully he’ll be back skating soon,” Quinn said of Simek, who has a lower-body injury.
Injured forward Quentin Musty skated in a regular teal jersey Saturday for the first time since the opening day of camp.
WAIVER CLAIM: The Sharks claimed defenseman Ty Emberson off waivers from the New York Rangers on Saturday. Emberson, 23, has played 132 NHL games since he left Wisconsin and turned professional in 2021. Last season, he had 27 points in 69 regular season games, and five points in nine playoff games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate.
Emberson is on a one-year contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level.
Emberson was drafted in the third round by Arizona in 2018. Internationally, he has appeared with Team USA at the 2020 World Junior Championships, playing in five games. He also appeared with the 2018 World Junior Championships U-18 team, helping the squad capture a silver medal.