‘Who’s gonna trade for a guy who’s 35, making $8 million?’: Logan Couture discusses future with San Jose Sharks

Apparently Logan Couture didn’t have high hopes on being dealt at the trade deadline.

In the wake of the San Jose Sharks making a surprising deal that sent Tomas Hertl to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Sharks captain was asked on Friday about if he expected to be traded. I don’t think anyone anticipated as grim of a response as what Couture gave.

“I’m realistic,” said Couture. “Who’s gonna trade for a guy who’s 35, making $8 million, and plays six games in a season? You’re not gonna find any takers out there.”

The Sharks center has gotten into just six games this season due to dealing with Ostesis pubis. He missed the first 45 games of the season with the injury before making his season debut on January 20th, and played up until the All-Star break before his groin flared up again. Before Friday, his timeline for return was unknown but it’s now confirmed that he’ll miss the rest of the season. He did not confirm if he’d be ready to start the 2024-25 season.

Couture, who turns 35 at the end of March, currently makes $8 million a season on an eight-year contract that still has three years left on it after this season. When it initially started in 2019-20, it was tied for the 33rd most expensive contract in the league, but has since dropped down to a tie for 59th.

Couture finishes the season with just one assist in six games, getting his lone point in his season debut on January 20th against the Anaheim Ducks. It’s by far the least productive season of his career, although it’s also the first time in his career that he’s played less than 25 games in a season.

Couture was the Sharks’ 9th-overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, and he’s gone on to spend his entire 15-season NHL career so far in San Jose. He was named captain of the team in 2019 after Joe Pavelski departed to free agency to sign with the Dallas Stars.

The Sharks currently sit in last place in the Pacific Division with a 16-40-7 record, which is the second-worst record in the league behind the Chicago Blackhawks. They’ll look to build off of Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST.