Editor's Note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
Logan Couture is back.
45 games into the 2023-24 NHL season, the Sharks captain will finally make his season debut tomorrow against the Anaheim Ducks.
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“I expect to play tomorrow,” he said after practice today.
Couture has missed the entire season with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
His prolonged absence been a huge hole in the line-up. Last year, Couture led Sharks forwards with 67 points. After Tomas Hertl, he was also their second-most used forward, a staple in all situations.
While it’s hard to say how much the 34-year-old will play in the early going, as he eases his way back into game action, the 10-31-4 Sharks need all the help that they can get, especially with do-everything center Mikael Granlund leaving their last game with a week-to-week upper-body injury.
San Jose Sharks
Granlund will miss at least the next three games, Quinn confirmed today.
San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn says that he hasn’t decided who Couture will play with yet tomorrow, but based on practice today, he should line up with Fabian Zetterlund and Alexander Barabanov.