Exit Interview: Couture About To Become Father, Wants To Stay With Sharks

It’s a boy!

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture announced in his exit interview today that he and fiancée Brielle Eschen are expecting their first child in late July.

Couture re-affirmed once again his desire to turn things around with the San Jose Sharks and is realistic about the prospect of losing Erik Karlsson.

These are the highlights of Couture’s exit interview, see the full interview here

Logan Couture, on this year being an uphill climb from the beginning for the San Jose Sharks:

Yeah, starting [0-5-0] or whatever, it was tough. I mean, you’re climbing out of a hole, or trying to, and with our travel, we’re in Prague, and then we’re on the East Coast. I sound like I’m making excuses, but I’m not trying to make excuses. It was difficult travel to start the year and got behind the eight ball a little bit and couldn’t find our way to get wins, and obviously, that’s on us. It was tough to start the way that we did.

Couture, on if he’s optimistic that the Sharks will be in a better competitive position next year:

We’ll see, I haven’t met with [Grier] yet. So I’m gonna meet with him here in a little bit.

I think Griersy is a very respected person when he speaks up or when he speaks, everyone listens. I think every man in this locker room has a lot of respect for Mike Grier.

So let’s see what he does [say] and what his plan is moving forward, but we want to win. I wake up every day coming to this rink, coming to win a hockey game. I’m sure if you ask Quinny, he is gonna give the same answer, and I’m sure if you ask Griersy, he’s gonna give you that same answer. That part is tough. When you wake up and come here and then you lose, it’s not easy.

Couture, on if he’s more open to the idea right now of getting traded so he can win again:

I love San Jose. I was drafted here. This is my home. So we’ll see what happens. I mean, I’m going to meet with him here in a bit, but I want to be here. I want to be a Shark and I want to turn this thing around. I have control of my contract — some control, or most [of the] control in my contract to figure out where I’m going to be. There’s nothing that would make me happier than bring this team back to the playoffs.

Couture, on if he gets excited to meet young players and to take them under his wing:

For sure. I love seeing new players and seeing guys’ skills. I mean, we traded for players this year, I was jacked up to see what they brought to the team. You know, I’m still trying to learn. I’m trying to pick something up from someone because they come from different organizations and maybe there’s something that they do a lot better than we do or I do. Just to pick their brain a little bit. See how they see the game [of] hockey. It’s exciting.

Couture, on if he was asked to represent Canada at the World Championships:

I did. I’m not gonna to go. I’m having a kid this summer. So stick around. [The day is supposed to be] Jul. 27. We’re busy. [It’s a] boy.

Couture, on what it would feel like if the San Jose Sharks trade Erik Karlsson:

It would be tough. I thought he was tremendous this year. As a player. As a person. I think every guy in this locker room will tell you he’s as good as it gets. So it’d be difficult, but I understand. I mean Erik is a veteran guy who’s been around, he wants to win, he wants to win now, and it was tough on him. We’d miss him. Great guy, great player, unbelievable.

You can’t replace Erik Karlsson, he’s one of a kind, in my opinion. He does things that very few can do from the back end. I mean, he’s up there with, obviously my opinion, he’s up there with Connor [McDavid] and guys like that, that can change a game quickly. Yeah, it would be tough.