Preview/Lines #41: How Can Vlasic Help Sharks? Vanecek & Grundstrom Update

When will Marc-Edouard Vlasic play again?

That seemed to be a big question mark as recently as yesterday.

The answer is today, apparently.

The veteran defenseman, after skating on his own since late September, then practicing with the San Jose Sharks since mid-November, will finally be back in the line-up.

It’s Vlasic’s first game since the end of last season. It’s been eight months, and the 37-year-old isn’t taking the moment for granted.

“I still enjoy it. I put myself through a grind the last four months, but it’s all worth it. I love playing the game. I love practicing,” Vlasic, who suffered an upper back/shoulder injury before camp, said. “I’m starting my 19th year on the ice tonight, I’m still having as much fun as I did my first year.”

Vlasic has played in 1,296 regular season and 131 playoff games over the course of his decorated career, all with the San Jose Sharks.

Head coach Ryan Warsofsky thinks that Vlasic, at his best, can still help the Sharks: “He’s still got a really good stick. He can still close and kill plays. He’s still very responsible defensively and knows where he needs to go…He’s got a smart hockey IQ and sense of where the best player is going to go to score goals. It’s not like he just forgot how to play the game.”

The stay-at-home defender will be paired with Jan Rutta tonight.

“Gotta keep it simple and move pucks and defend with a purpose,” Warsofsky said. “Take away time and space from their opponent, whoever their matchup might be, and then when they have pucks on their sticks, they gotta execute, gotta get out of our own end tonight.”

San Jose Sharks (11-23-6)

Yaroslav Askarov will start.

On defense:

Thrun-Ceci
Ferraro-Liljegren
Vlasic-Rutta

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 2, 2025

Ty Dellandrea and Shakir Mukhamadullin are healthy scratches.

William Eklund (upper-body injury) practiced again today, and Warsofsky says he looked good once again, so perhaps he’ll be an option for Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

Carl Grundstrom (upper-body injury), placed on IR today for Vlasic, jumped on the ice, after practice, in an orange no-contact jersey. Warsofsky said that it was too soon to tell when he’d be back, but that he was probably behind Eklund in terms of a return to the line-up.

Vitek Vanecek (upper-body injury) got on the ice after practice today, his first time that we’ve seen him on the ice since his bench injury.

Warsofsky still considers him week-to-week.

Jake Walman (lower-body injury) was once again not on the ice, the third-straight day we haven’t seen him, so his health might be trending down. He’s still considered day-to-day.

Tampa Bay Lightning (20-12-2)

From yesterday, looks like Jake Guentzel will be a game-time decision.

It appears that Andrei Vasilevskiy will get the start.

a look at the #Bolts lines and D pairings from practice:

Guentzel – Point – Kucherov
Hagel – Cirelli – Geekie
Goncalves/Atkinson – Paul – Chaffee
Girgensons – Glendening – Eyssimont

Hedman – Raddysh
McDonagh – Cernak
Lilleberg – Perbix

— Gabby Shirley (@Gabby_Shirley_) January 1, 2025

Where To Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning is 7:30 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.