Last night we got wind of Logan Couture nailing down a two-year contract extension with the Sharks. Today, San Jose officially announced the deal and with it the details of his contract came forth. Getting last year’s Calder Trophy finalist and 32 goal-scorer signed up to a two-year, $5.75 million deal is a thing of beauty for Sharks general manager Doug Wilson.
Couture is just 22 years-old and putting up 32 goals in his first full NHL season on a team brimming with talent and Stanley Cup hopes is a great thing. Getting him locked up for those two years at a $2.875 million cap hit is incredible. Couture was set to become a restricted free agent after this season and with how tricky that process has become for some teams (look at how Shea Weber and Zach Parise were handled) the Sharks were wise to get something done now.
While there’s still the possibility of labor issues making next season uncomfortable for teams, Couture’s deal is friendly beyond belief for the Sharks. Look at how the other salaries shake out for San Jose via CapGeek. With Couture’s $2.875 cap hit it makes him the sixth highest paid forward. For a guy that scored as many goals and points as Couture did, it’s a steal if he continues to score like that. If he turns into the second coming of Jonathan Cheechoo, then it’s not quite as good.
Still, at 22 years-old Couture is expected to only get better and that means the Sharks have one hell of a bargain on their hands for the next two years. With Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley now gone from San Jose, the pressure to continue scoring falls to Couture. Wilson and the rest of the Sharks brass hope that he thrives being given the opportunity.