SAN JOSE Matt Ioannidis Jersey Elite , Calif. (AP) Even the simplest of tasks like breathing and eating were painstakingly difficult for Logan Couture heading into the playoffs a year ago.An errant puck had shattered his face and the injuries hampered Couture during San Jose’s first-round loss to Edmonton. They weren’t fully healed until the summer. The Sharks are counting heavily on a now healthy Couture to anchor a long playoff run this year starting Thursday night in Game 1 of their first-round series at Anaheim.”It was tough,” Couture said about playing through the injury a year ago. ”It was very difficult. I went from playing to not knowing if I would be playing in the playoffs. The injury, it affected my life more than hockey. It was difficult just waking up and dealing with day to day stuff. But I’m happy, happy to be healthy.”Couture was hit in the mouth a year ago by a shot from teammate Brent Burns and missed the final seven games of the regular season with two fractures in his face. He came back for the playoffs with plastic and wiring to keep his teeth in place and played all six games, scoring two goals in a Game 4 victory, but he was far from his usual self.Couture was a main factor in San Jose’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, leading the NHL with 30 points that postseason before the Sharks lost in six games to Pittsburgh. He’s hoping for the same type of spring this year.”That was probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey,” he said. ”Just a blast to go to the rink every day. That was a special group that we had that year. It’s different each year obviously when personnel changes. I think about that run quite a bit http://www.washingtonredskinsteamonline.com/matthew-ioannidis-jersey , just how much fun it was. Just hoping to relive it.”As well as he played during that run, Couture might be at his peak heading into this year’s playoffs after scoring a career-high 34 goals this season, posting 61 points and having the usual responsibility of trying to slow down the opponent’s top scoring line.That performance helped the Sharks overcome the loss of Patrick Marleau to free agency last summer and Joe Thornton to a knee injury in January and helped Couture win the team’s MVP award, although he has loftier goals still in mind.”I’ve felt good. The puck’s gone in for me. That’s the big thing. Just capitalized on opportunities. Scoring 34 goals is pretty cool. Definitely to be up in the top 20 in goal scorers in this league, in the best league in the world, is special for sure,” Couture said.”The season’s not over. Obviously the goal for myself, and as well as our team Authentic Adrian Peterson Jersey , is to win it all. It’s tough to say it’s been a successful year until the year’s done.”Couture will have plenty of responsibility this series to make sure the season doesn’t end too soon.He’ll be a main part of the top power-play unit, one of the team’s most important penalty killers, tasked with slowing down Ryan Getzlaf’s line and provide offense of his own.”The one thing about Logan is he has the ability to raise his level in important moments, in important times of the year as he’s shown in my time here,” coach Peter DeBoer said. ”I expect the same thing. I think we kind of take it for granted but that’s what he is. He’s a great player and he has that ability.”NOTES: DeBoer would not rule Thornton out for the series, saying only he wouldn’t play Game 1. … Eric Fehr and Melker Karlsson, who missed time late in the season, worked on the fourth line at practice Tuesday.— Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesThe Ottawa Senators reached an agreement Fridayto trade center Matt Duchene to the Columbus Blue Jackets Adrian Peterson Jersey Elite , according to TSN's Darren Dreger.Aaron Portzline of The Athletic noted that prospects Vitaly Abramov andJonathan Davidsson are part of the package going to Ottawa in the deal. TSN's Bob McKenzie noted that defensemanJulius Bergman will also head to Columbus.According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Senators will receive a 2019 first-round pick in the deal as well as a conditional 2020 first-round pick if Duchene re-signs with the Blue Jackets.The deal takes place as Ottawa prepares to host Columbus on Friday night. Per Dreger, Duchene is expected to suit up for the Blue Jackets in the game.The Sens acquired Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche, who selected him with the third overall pick in the 2009 NHL draft, in a November 2017 swap.Although the 28-year-old Canadian was highly productive for Ottawa, including 58 points (27 goals and 31 assists) in 50 appearances during the current campaign, he's set to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. That put pressure on the front office to re-sign or trade him before the deadline.In mid-January, Duchene said he wasn't letting the uncertainty become a distraction because he understood "it's a business.""Honestly http://www.washingtonredskinsteamonline.com/adrian-peterson-jersey , I'm just letting it play out. I don't know what's going to happen. I have no clue," he told reporters. "This is still very early in the process, I think today is one of the first kind of real [contract extension] talks so I'm not sure."Duchene ranks 27th among all NHL skaters with 535 points since 2009-10, his debut campaign with the Avs, per Hockey Reference.His resume also includes two All-Star Game selections and an Olympic gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.Duchene should quickly slot in as a key piece of the Blue Jackets'top six, which is already headlined by Artemi Panarin and All-Star Cam Atkinson.It's not immediately clear whether Columbus will attempt to re-sign the playmaking center or simply view him as a rental for its playoff run. Dreger noted that there have been no extension talks at this time, as the Blue Jackets are just looking to make a run at the Stanley Cup this season.The Blue Jackets figured to be the team to watch ahead of the trade deadline as stars Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are scheduled to become free agents this summer. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen decided not to wait around and decided to make a splash to bolster his roster as the franchise looks to earn its third consecutive playoff berth.Columbus is currently on the outside looking in of the Eastern Conference playoff picture Authentic D.J. Swearinger SR Jersey , sitting one point back of the Carolina Hurricanes for the final wild-card spot. The Blue Jackets have played two fewer games than the Hurricanes, though.