Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl are the two most important players on the San Jose Sharks roster after Erik Karlsson was traded to Pittsburgh this summer — but the longtime forwards might not be in California for too much longer.

With the Sharks set to be one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League again in 2023-24, general manager Mike Grier revealed that he would explore trading either of them if they would prefer that to a rebuild.

“I check in with Hertl and Couture a lot, and if there ever were to come a time when they felt like they needed or wanted to go somewhere else, it's definitely something I would listen to, and if it made sense for us, I would explore it,” Grier told the Bay Area News' Curtis Pashelka as training camp opened.

“But as of right now, I'm happy that they're they're part of our group.”

Both players have spent their entire careers in San Jose. Couture has four years remaining on a contract he signed back in 2018, while Hertl is entering the second season of an eight-year pact he inked in 2022.

Despite Grier's comments, he also made it clear that both players are focused on the season with the Sharks, and not a potential new home.

“They're all in,” the GM explained. “They enjoy working with [head coach David Quinn] and the coaching staff. They're excited by some of the young players.”

Despite the team's struggles, both players have still been very effective. Couture scored 27 goals and 67 points last year, while Hertl amassed 22 goals and 63 points of his own.

It would certainly be odd to see either player in a different uniform, but after longtime Sharks forward Timo Meier was shipped to the New Jersey Devils, it could be possible for one or both to follow him out.

Complicating matters is the news that Couture suffered an offseason lower-body injury and is designated as week-to-week. There's currently no timetable for the 34-year-old to get back on the ice.

“I'm doing everything that I possibly can,” Couture said when asked if he'd be ready for opening night on Oct. 12. “That's all I can give you.”

It will be intriguing to see if either Logan Couture or Tomas Hertl end up being traded out of the only NHL home they know.