San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture will undergo surgery and miss more than one month of game action as a result of a fractured fibula suffered during practice. ESPN's Britt McHenry reported Couture got "caught in a rut skating [and] weight of teammate falling over him snapped his fibula."
Continue for updates.
Sharks GM Announces Couture's Recovery Timeline
Friday, Oct. 16
“Logan was injured in practice on Thursday in New Jersey and suffered a fractured right fibula at the ankle. He will be returning to San Jose to undergo surgery under the direction of Kaiser Permanente’s medical team. He is expected to miss [four to six] weeks," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson announced.
Couture Vows to Return
Friday, Oct. 16
"Quick thank you to everyone for kind words. I know the boys will hold it down. I'll be back," tweeted Couture.
Video Emerges from Sharks Practice
Thursday, Oct. 15
As seen in this video, courtesy of CSNBayArea.com, Couture was forced to leave Thursday's practice due to an injury, and he appeared to be in serious discomfort while being helped off of the ice:
Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group saw Couture on crutches with a walking boot on his right foot Thursday.
Sharks Will Miss Couture's Scoring Prowess
Couture has been among the Sharks' best players for the past seven seasons, and he is coming off of one of his most productive years yet. He scored 27 goals and put up a career-best 67 points in 2014-15.
Although Couture has just one assist through three games this season, he is a fixture on the Sharks' second line alongside Patrick Marleau and Joel Ward.
Couture's injury will likely open the door for 2012 first-round pick Tomas Hertl to be elevated from the third line to the second line and see increased power-play time as well.
San Jose has exceeded expectations with a 3-0 start, but keeping up a similar pace without Couture in the lineup in the difficult Western Conference will be a tall task.
