Rookie phenom Tomas Hertl is out for more than a month following knee surgery, veteran wingers Martin Havlat (lower body) and Tommy Wingels (upper body) are on injured reserve, and now superstar center Logan Couture will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks after undergoing hand surgery, per TSN.
According to Sharks general manager Doug Wilson, Couture has been dealing with the injury for a little while.
“For the past several weeks, Logan has been dealing and playing with an upper body injury. Despite his efforts to play through it, the injury has not responded as we had hoped and Logan has made the decision to undergo a surgical procedure to repair the problem,” Wilson said in a statement.
“While the timing of the procedure is not ideal, Logan feels it is in his and the team’s best interest to get the problem rectified now. Logan will undergo surgery on Wed., Jan. 8, and we will have a better update on the recovery time following the procedure.”
San Jose ranks fifth in goals scored and 13th in power-play percentage, and Couture’s consistent play is a major reason for this offensive success. He’s tallied 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 43 games, plus 11 power-play points (three goals, eight assists). His 157 shots on goal are the second-most on the team. Couture also brings a three-zone presence to the Sharks lineup and wins faceoffs at a solid 54.8 percent rate.
As of Wednesday, San Jose is in second place in the Pacific, three ahead of the third-place Los Angeles Kings and nine behind the division-leading Anaheim Ducks.
