With training camps now around a month away, there should start to be an uptick in signings relatively soon as veterans look to find places to play for the upcoming season. Veteran blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic was a late entrant to the free agent market and indicated to Stephane Cadorette of Le Journal de Quebec that he fully intends to play in the NHL in 2025-26.
The 38-year-old was a core piece on San Jose’s back end for the better part of a decade and a half before his role started to diminish significantly in recent years. Last season, he spent time both on injured reserve and as a healthy scratch, limiting him to just a goal and two assists in 27 games with his average ice time dropping to 14:38, the lowest of his career.
In his prime, Vlasic was one of the top defensive blueliners in the NHL. In particular, he has been quite adept at blocking shots as he’s the all-time league leader in that regard, per QuantHockey although it should be noted that the statistic has only been tracked for around the last two decades.
Vlasic had one year left on his deal before free agency opened up with the Sharks apparently deciding very last minute to execute the buyout. The veteran voiced some frustration about how that came about, noting that in the exit interview back in April that they wanted him to continue to provide the veteran leadership they were seeking. Then, a few days before the end of June, they informed him that they’d be buying out the final year of his deal after 19 seasons.
From the outside, the move could have been reasonably foreseeable given his $7MM AAV and the very limited role he had been filling. Rather than string along a player who was once a franchise pillar with minimal ice time for yet another year, they opted to pay his $2MM signing bonus plus two-thirds of his $3.5MM salary over the next two seasons to move on.
GM Mike Grier wasted little time filling Vlasic’s spot on the roster. He brought in Dmitry Orlov in free agency while claiming fellow lefty Nick Leddy off waivers while John Klingberg adds some depth to their group of right-shot options as well. With what they had planned, there was clearly no room to keep Vlasic around.
As for Vlasic, given how limited his role was last season, it would be surprising to see him land a contract of any significance on the open market as it’s likely teams will envision him as a depth option similar to how he was deployed in San Jose rather than a full-time player. Several of those players will be signing tryout agreement in the weeks to come and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Vlasic need to go that route as well as he looks to extend his NHL career to a 20th season.
Doug Wilson set the Sharks back a decade with his awful leadership.
Suffered the same fate as the Wings with Holland. Success for a long time with loyalty contracts given to veterans and the cupboard was bare in the minors. Both teams have done a decent job with their rebuilds but steps forward need to be taken this year.
I would not be surprised at all if Vlasic eventually winds up on the development or leadership team in San Jose’s front office with Marleau and Thornton.
The only place that might be able to squeeze the last bit of game out of him doesn’t need him. The Panthers are set on D.
Doug Wilson gets a lot of hate and I get it his last 3-5 years were not great but before that he was pretty darn good.he hit on a good amount of picks considering that they never really had a bunch.also had some of the best trades ever in future hof burns and thorton.those trades alone are a++.
Finally some common sense on this thread. Doug Wilson was a good GM. As you stated he made a lot of good trades. Sure he had a few duds but name a GM who hasn’t! The bottom line is this team made the playoffs 19 of 21 years and that demands respect. Sure they didn’t win the Cup but it’s hard to do and it wasn’t from lack of trying. Plus he drafted well. Go back and see how many mid round picks became big contributors (hello Joe Pavelski among others). Wilson was the victim of bad timing.
The Sharks always gave out four year contracts. That was their standard and for a long time they resisted doing the 7 and 8 year deals. But then Brent Burns won the Norris in a contract year and he was forced to go 8 years to keep him. And that forced the Sharks to give out 8 year deals to all of their stars. Contracts that were necessary to make Cup runs and also ones that would age poorly. And that’s what happened. Colorado went through the same rebuild 10 years ago.
The Sharks will be good in a few years. Doug Wilson did a good job keeping this team in the Cup hunt for two decades. No reason for all of the hate he gets on this site.
mz90gu you have it right. Wilson was a good GM! I wish Vlasic the best. He had a great career but this was the right move.
Guy isn’t NHL caliber any more. I can’t see any team even paying league minimum for him. Why, when any young hungry AHL first liner would be glad for the spot to show what he can do?
Sounds like it’s gonna be a PTO for pickles
Islanders should sign him for a veteran guy for Schaefer.
Intends to play? I intend to play in the NHL too doesn’t mean anyone is interested
I’ve been intending for 34 years and the phone still hasn’t rung…
The Sharks would like a word.
SparkytheGoldenSeals
Doug Wilson set the Sharks back a decade with his awful leadership.
Wilf, do you mean except for the 15 consecutive winning seasons, 14 seasons with 40 or more wins, 4 seasons with 50 or more wins, 14 playoff appearances, and a trip to the SC final? My god man, it is as if you live in a parallel universe where common sense simply does not exist. Please keep posting.
the Sharks were the best Franchise of the decade from 2010-2019 that didn’t win a Cup, they built a great core, Jim Nill is consistently regarded as the best GM today and the Stars are kinda like the Sharks of this decade, as the best franchise of the decade to not win a cup though this decade is only half way through