Logan Couture is the real winner of the John Tavares sweepstakes

The San Jose Sharks missed out on John Tavares, with the money they saved they paid one of their own, Logan Couture.

Yes, the city of Toronto were the big winners of the John Tavares sweepstakes. However, they were not the only winners. San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture was also a big winner.

The question going forward is what will be his role on the team?

The Sharks have been strong at the center position for a long time. Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski led the team from the middle for a long time and Couture was a compliment piece. With Thornton gone, for now, Couture will face more attention as a second line center. The bigger contract also brings him more into the spotlight. Couture is a good hockey player but $8 million is a steep contract for a No. 2 center.

Long-term Couture is not going to develop into a top-line center. He has hit his development ceiling and is a very good second line center who is paid like a top-line center. At 29, this contract will carry his contract will carry him out until the age of 37.

Not exactly ideal.

https://twitter.com/SanJoseSharks/status/1013482866846547968

There is no doubt the Sharks are in win-now mode. They are heavily invested in their core players and those core players are not young anymore. Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joe Pavelski are all on the wrong side of 30. Recently extended Evander Kane is just 26 but on a contract that will keep him around until he is 33.

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As an organization, the Sharks are not as deep as they were in years past. There is no top tier prospect waiting to crack into the lineup in the center position. It is extremely difficult to find top centers in trades or free agency. So when the Sharks seemed out on Tavares they lost leverage on Couture. It was a great contract for Couture but not a great contract for the Sharks.

This one will not get better with age.