Askarov, Couture among San Jose Sharks’ injured players heading into training camp
San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier revealed a few notable players will be absent from the ice when training camp gets underway on Thursday.
In a release, Grier stated that captain Logan Couture, goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Shakir Mukhamadullin will be kept off the ice due to injuries.
Askarov, Couture and Mukhamadullin are all nursing lower-body injuries, while Vlasic is listed with an upper-body injury. Grier has not said what exactly is ailing the four or the severity of their injuries.
Couture is set to enter his 15th season in the NHL, all of which have come with the Sharks. The 35-year-old was taken by San Jose with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. He has been one of the faces of the franchise for the better part of a decade, and has been wearing the ‘C’ for the team since the 2019-20 season.
Couture missed most of the 2023-24 season due to a lower-body injury that he suffered during the offseason. He missed almost the first four months of the season, finally appearing in a game against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 20. However, six games later, Couture suffered a groin injury that kept him out for the remainder of the campaign.
In 933 NHL games, Couture has scored 323 goals and 378 assists, including 101 points in 116 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Askarov came to the team with a lot of fanfare and tons of expectations. The Russian netminder wanted to be traded away from the Nashville Predators after it was clear he wasn’t going to be starting this year on the NHL roster. His wish was granted last month when he was acquired by San Jose for David Edstrom, Magnus Chrona and a 2025 first-round pick.
The 22-year-old is arguably the best goaltending prospect and has been one of the top goaltenders in the American Hockey League over the past two seasons. It was widely expected that he would take one of the two spots on the Sharks’ roster from Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood.
Like Couture, Vlasic is another Shark lifer. The 37-year-old was taken by San Jose in the second round of the 2005 NHL Draft and has been a mainstay on the team’s blueline for the last 18 seasons. Also, like his captain, Vlasic had a little bit of the injury bug last season, missing 25 games, but still managed to score 12 points in 57 appearances.
Vlasic has played in 1,296 NHL games, notching 83 goals and 293 assists, including 39 points in 142 playoff appearances.
Mukhamadullin is a player looking to rise up through the ranks and eventually become an everyday NHLer. He made his debut with the Sharks on Jan. 27, 2024 against the Buffalo Sabres. The 22-year-old played three games last season, registering his first NHL assist on Jan. 31 against the Ducks.
Mukhamadullin was taken by the New Jersey Devils 20th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. He was traded to San Jose in Feb. 2023 in the deal that saw the Devils acquire Timo Meier and Scott Harrington, among other assets.