SAN JOSE – Greater than three months after coaching camp started, it stays a thriller when San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic will play once more.
Roughly 5 weeks after Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky stated Vlasic could possibly be activated throughout an upcoming six-game street journey that lasted till Dec. 12, the veteran blueliner stays a non-roster participant on the halfway level of the season with no clear indication as to when he may be activated.
Warsofsky stated Wednesday that Vlasic, who practiced with a couple of different Sharks gamers on New Yr’s Day, remains to be engaged on his conditioning however that the staff does have a plan for him to play.
“It’s building him up,” to a spot, Warsofsky stated, of the place “we’re all comfortable with putting him in.”
“We’ve talked to Marc, and he understands the situation and where we’re at, what we expect, and where he needs to get to, to play,” Warsofsky added.
Reporters requested to talk with Vlasic on Wednesday, however the Sharks denied that request, citing membership coverage.
The 37-year-old Vlasic, now in his nineteenth NHL season, missed all of camp with an upper-body harm, which he described in October as a difficulty primarily involving his higher again. However he has frequently been participating in Sharks practices and morning skates since at the least late November, a sign, it appears, that he’s at the least near full well being.
On Wednesday, Vlasic skated alongside a small group of Sharks gamers, together with forwards William Eklund and Collin Graf and goalies Alexandar Georgiev and Yaroslav Askarov.
Vlasic stated in October that he hoped to be again by the tip of that month. Whereas that didn’t materialize – and the Sharks have by no means had a timeline for Vlasic’s return — there have been no obvious setbacks in his restoration, both.
Nonetheless, Warsofsky has remained steadfast in current weeks by saying that Vlasic wants extra apply time with the group earlier than he may be added to the Sharks’ 23-man roster.
“Obviously the conditioning was the big thing,” Warsofsky stated Wednesday. “Missing training camp, skating a lot here as of late, so I think it’s getting closer and closer. But that was a big thing. It’s getting over the conditioning hump.
“I think he’s we’ve seen a better Marc the last few days. So, it’s getting closer.”
Requested whether or not Vlasic may be able to play once more within the subsequent couple of weeks, Warsofsky stated, “it’s hard to say, I’d like to see him in some more practices, but we’ll see.”
As soon as Vlasic is near enjoying once more, the Sharks might ask him to begin a conditioning stint with the Barracuda. However Warsofsky stated the staff has not but reached that time.
Vlasic, now in his nineteenth NHL season, must play simply 4 extra video games to succeed in 1,300 for his NHL profession. His 1,296 video games in a Sharks uniform is the second-most in staff historical past, behind solely Patrick Marleau’s 1,607. Solely 71 gamers in NHL historical past have performed at the least 1,300 video games.
Vlasic’s enjoying time has tailed off in recent times and he spent appreciable time final season as a wholesome scratch. Vlasic averaged over 20 minutes of ice time per sport for the primary 14 seasons of his NHL profession, however that quantity dipped to 16:17 final season as he performed 57 of 82 video games.
The Sharks (11-23-6) are carrying seven defensemen on their roster proper now, however solely six are wholesome. Jake Walman has a lower-body harm and can miss his fifth straight sport Thursday when the Sharks host the Tampa Bay Lightning, trying to snap an eight-game dropping streak.
If the Sharks needed to create a roster spot for Vlasic as soon as he’s deemed match to play once more, and assuming no different defenseman is traded or must be positioned on injured reserve, they may assign Shakir Mukhamadullin again to the Barracuda. Mukhamadullin, 22, doesn’t require waivers to be returned to the AHL.
Warsofsky stated Vlasic, who has one yr remaining after this one on his eight-year, $56 million contract, can nonetheless assist the Sharks.
“He’s played in this league a long time,” Warsofsky stated of Vlasic. “He was one of the better guys at shutting down teams’ top players when he was in his prime, and I thought he did some good things last year and had some good stretches.
“It’s really hard when you miss training camp, and then you get thrown into the fire in January to play against some really good teams,” Warsofsky stated. “The big thing is we’ve got to continue to build him up and get him into some practices. Obviously, practices are a lot different than they were in training camp, so continue to build him up.”
EKLUND UPDATE: Warosfsky stated Eklund, who has missed the final three video games with an upper-body harm he sustained within the Sharks’ Dec. 23 sport towards the Vancouver Canucks, is not going to play towards the Lightning. Warsofsky stated the plan is for Eklund, who’s feeling higher, to skate once more on Thursday after which be reassessed.
Initially Printed: January 1, 2025 at 1:46 PM PST
