The San Jose Sharks saw their season come to an end last week as they fell to the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs. With a long summer to recover from bumps and bruises accumulated during the season, the Sharks and center Logan Couture decided it was best for him to undergo shoulder surgery after months of discomfort.
On Tuesday, Couture underwent the knife and had a successful surgery on his left shoulder, according to this report from Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea.com. Here are a few more details.
Couture, 23, revealed after the playoffs that he had been dealing with the injury since 2010, and it gradually got worse. The Sharks' lone All-Star in 2012, Couture had just one goal in the final 13 games of the regular season and one in the five-game first round series loss to St. Louis.
"I didn't score enough to help this team. There's no reason. I can't say it was because I had a bad shoulder," Couture said on April 24. "I didn't score and didn't help produce."
Couture is expected to have his arm in a sling for three weeks before beginning the rehab process.
"I'll take some time to rest and recover, and probably get back into the gym in the next month and a half," Couture said last week.
The Sharks are going to need Couture to make a complete recovery before the season begins. Seeing as the young center scored 31 goals and dished out 34 assists last season, you can see why his absence from the lineup would be a tough one to overcome. The good news is that his shoulder should be completely healthy now and he will have plenty of time to rebuild strength in the area through rehab and getting back into the gym.
For more on the Sharks and Couture, check out Fear The Fin.