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Sharks’ Logan Couture out indefinitely after arterial surgery

Sharks forward Logan Couture’s painful season got worse when he needed surgery on an artery in his right thigh.

A hard-luck season for Logan Couture took a turn for the worse on Wednesday night when the San Jose Sharks forward suffered his second significant injury.

Couture, playing in just his second game since returning from a fractured right fibula, suffered trauma to his right thigh that knocked him out of the game against the Oilers.

Sharks GM Doug Wilson picks the story up from there.

Upon returning to San Jose, it was discovered that there was a small arterial bleed in the area,” Wilson said. “[Thursday] night, Logan underwent a successful procedure in San Jose to close the artery and is expected to make a full recovery.

“At this time, there is no projected time frame for his return to the ice but we do not expect this to be a long-term recovery.

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“Fortunately, this injury is completely unrelated to his previous injury.”

While it’s good news that it’s not a recurrence, it’s still a tough break for Couture, who has been limited to just five games this season. The 27-year-old center is coming off a 2014-15 season in which he tallied 40 assists and 67 points, both personal bests, and his leadership had been rewarded with an alternate captaincy. 

Without him, the Sharks have struggled to meet expectations this season. The power play, ranked sixth last season, has plummeted to 18th and the team is averaging nearly two fewer shots per game. Couture led the team with 263 last season.

Although they currently sit in third place in the Pacific, the Sharks are mired in a five-game losing skid and have lost six of eight at home, where they return on Saturday night to host the Wild

The Sharks later recalled Ryan Carpenter from their AHL affiliate. Carpenter leads the Barracuda in points (18) and assists (16) through 20 games this season.