Why is Logan Couture on IR with the San Jose Sharks instead of LTIR?

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On April 15, 2025, the San Jose Sharks announced that Logan Couture could no longer play hockey due to a debilitating hip injury. Couture spent his entire 15-season NHL career with the Sharks, playing in over 1,000 NHL games and 800 points (regular and postseason). Couture still has two seasons remaining on his eight-year, $8 million AAV contract signed in 2018.

There’s discussion among fans on whether Couture should be placed on Injured Reserve (IR) or Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR). Let's clarify this situation and explain why the Sharks will keep Couture on IR over placing him on LTIR.

But first, a quick refresher on how LTIR works…

What is LTIR?

When a player is injured and expected to miss at least 10 NHL games AND 24 days of the NHL regular season, they are eligible for placement on LTIR. While a player is on LTIR, their team may exceed the salary cap.

Despite the common misconception, a player on LTIR does not have their cap hit removed from the team’s cap total. It is important to not think of LTIR as “subtracting” salary cap, as that is never how it works. Players on LTIR continue to count fully against the team's cap. LTIR simply allows the team to potentially exceed the cap by an amount commonly referred to as the “LTIR Pool”.

This LTIR Pool really only helps teams close to the salary cap ceiling ($95.5M for 2025-26) that wish to exceed the cap, and provides no benefit to teams that are significantly below. 

Read more about LTIR here, or see how LTIR impacted team decisions in the opening of the 2024-25 season. 

How does the LTIR Pool impact the Sharks?

It doesn't!

As of July 4, 2025, the Sharks are $23.89 million below the cap ceiling with a projected cap hit around $71.6 million. After claiming Nick Leddy off waivers, and signing Dmitry Orlov to a 2-year deal, the Sharks were lifted above the salary cap floor but remain far below the salary cap ceiling. The San Jose Sharks would need to make several significant signings or trades to get close to the salary cap ceiling, where the LTIR Pool may make an impact.

Are the Sharks Below the Salary Cap Floor with Couture on IR or LTIR?

Nope.

As mentioned before, placing Couture on IR or LTIR does not deduct his cap hit from the team’s projected cap hit. Therefore, Couture’s full cap hit remains on the Sharks’ projected cap hit, and is completely unaffected by Couture’s playing status.

As of right now, the Sharks are above the salary cap floor and are cap compliant for the start of the regular season (although they likely need to acquire at least one more NHL-quality forward).

If Couture Won't Play Again, Why Not Use LTIR?

Teams like flexibility. IR is very flexible, and LTIR has more rules around it.

Once a player is placed on LTIR things are more locked in. Teams near the salary cap ceiling typically make several strategic moves before placing a player on LTIR to maximize their LTIR Pool. For example, the Vegas Golden Knights did this at the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Once a player is placed on LTIR, the team's flexibility diminishes significantly.

Since Couture's placement doesn't affect the Sharks' current cap situation, it's simpler and more practical to keep him on IR at the start of the season. Teams also retain the option to move a player retroactively to LTIR if circumstances change, making IR the preferred initial choice for San Jose.

Bottom Line

While placing Couture on LTIR may seem logical given his career-ending injury, it currently offers no real benefit to the Sharks. Keeping him on IR maintains maximum flexibility, allowing San Jose to better respond to future roster moves or unexpected cap scenarios.