Logan Couture began dreaming of playing in the NHL as a 3-year-old carrying around a stick nearly everywhere he went.

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture is expected to announce that he will end his playing career because of a debilitating injury that has sidelined him for more than 15 months.

Seven members of the Sharks and coach Bob Boughner were placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Saturday, delaying the start of San Jose’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Some of the NHL's stars are not on the ice for the start of training camps.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, file photo, San Jose Sharks' Erik Karlsson, of Sweden, skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)A disappointing 2019-20 season kept the San Jose Sharks out of the NHL bubble when the season restarted following the long break for the coronavirus. The Sharks are set to open the season on an eight-game road trip before their first two scheduled home games Feb. 1 and 3 against Vegas. San Jose has six of eight games on the road after the opening two home games, hosting Anaheim on Feb. 13 and 15. The Sharks then come back home Feb. 26 and are scheduled to play 24 of their last 38 games in San Jose.

(AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King, File)The Minnesota Wild traded goalie Devan Dubnyk and forward Ryan Donato to the San Jose Sharks in two separate deals Monday, continuing their makeover under general manager Bill Guerin. The selection the Sharks sent to the Wild was originally Pittsburgh's, first dealt to San Jose on Feb. 24 for forward Patrick Marleau. The Wild now own two 2021 picks from the Penguins, who traded next year's first-rounder to Minnesota for forward Jason Zucker. Donato, who is the son of former Bruins stalwart Ted Donato, has 29 goals and 28 assists in 130 career NHL games. The 26-year-old Soucy had seven goals, seven assists and a team-leading plus-16 rating in 55 games in his first full NHL season.