Former Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic was in the news over the weekend when he voiced his displeasure with the end of his Sharks tenure and his desire to continue playing.
Vlasic’s displeasure with the end of his Sharks tenure stems from communication issues with management on how he was bought out. Vlasic was under the impression he would be back after his exit interviews, only to be blindsided by a buyout during the window in June.
If true, it is disappointing to see from Grier and co, while it is a business at the end of the day, Vlasic is the longest tenured Shark and has spent nearly 20 years with the organization that drafted him. He deserves better communication from the organization if what he says is true.
With that said, it’s one side of the story, and we don’t know exactly what happened between the two sides, and probably won’t anytime soon. When it comes to on the ice, a Vlasic buyout is entirely understandable; his production is nowhere near his cap hit of $7 million, and entering his age-38 season, he is nowhere near the player he once was.
Vlasic’s path to staying in the NHL next year is probably limited to a camp tryout; he has not played well enough to secure a guaranteed contract, but the veteran has played a lot of hockey, and he should, at the very least, get a chance to show that a change of scenery can reinvigorate his game.
It’s undoubtedly a sour end to Vlasic’s tenure in San Jose, but the defender was a key piece for the Sharks for the majority of the 2010s and one of the best defensemen in franchise history. It would be awesome to see Vlasic find his game on a contender this season, but if it's the end for him, it’s been an excellent career for the Sharks great.