More Trades Coming Out Of San Jose

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Matt Garland
September 22, 2023 (10:47)

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The San Jose Sharks finished in the bottom five of the league last season with a record of 22-44-16. After trading their leading scorer from the last season Erik Karlsson, the Sharks anticipate another losing season.

Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl are locked up to long-term contracts in San Jose but general manager Mike Grier confirmed on Thursday that the team would try to accommodate them if either player requested a move in the future.

"I check in with (Hertl and Couture) a lot, and if there ever were to come a time when they felt like they needed or wanted to go somewhere else, it's definitely something I would listen to, and if it made sense for us, I would explore it,"

Grier said

34 year old Couture is signed until the end of the 2026-27 season with a cap hit of $8M. Captain Couture scored 27 goals and 67 points in 82 games last season.

29 year old Hertl is entering the second season of an eight-year extension signed in 2022 with a cap hit of $8,137,500. Last season Hertl scored 22 goal and 63 points in 79 games.

Grier reiterated that both players want to be Sharks for the long-term.

"They're all in," Grier said, "They enjoy working with (head coach David Quinn) and the coaching staff. They're excited by some of the young players."

Both Hertl and Couture will have a say in any potential move. Hertl holds a full no-move clause through 2025, while Couture has a 29-team no-trade clause.

The Sharks haven't been in the playoffs since 2018-19 and the odds are stacked against them against this season in a very competitive Pacific division.

Couture's currently unavailable on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury. He confirmed there's no timetable for him to get back on the ice.

https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-logan-couture-grier-quinn-injury/

San Jose begin their preseason schedule on Sunday against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.