The San Jose Sharks are not looking to trade forward Logan Couture.
General manager Mike Grier addressed the media Monday while introducing new head coach Ryan Warsofsky and shot down trade rumours surrounding his captain.
“That is absolutely false,” Grier said. “If you look at us bringing in young players here and having a young team, he’s exactly the kind of person you want to have around your young players.
“He’s our captain. He had a tough year but we love him, as a person most importantly, but he’s also a heck of a hockey player.”
Couture has played 15 seasons in San Jose since he was drafted by the team in the first round, ninth overall, in 2007.
He was named captain in 2019 and has recorded 701 points (323 goals and 378 assists) in 933 career games.
The 35-year-old from Guelph, Ont., was limited to six games this season due to a hip/groin injury that occurred during off-season training. Couture made his season debut on Jan. 20, however, he reaggrevated the injury just 11 days later and was shutdown for the remainder of the season.
He has three seasons left on an eight-year, $64 million contract he signed in 2018.
San Jose finished last in the league with a 19-54-9 record (47 points) and missed the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year. It was the fewest wins for the franchise in a full season since their second year as an expansion team during the 1992-93 campaign.
Head coach David Quinn was fired on April 24 with former assistant Warsofsky promoted last week.
The Sharks hold the first overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft and are expected to select highly touted prospect Macklin Celebrini.