San Jose Sharks
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 – EyssimontHedman – 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.
Vlasic was so good for so long; it’s been a tough couple of years for him. He mentioned the back issue has been around for several years, hopefully he’s feeling good now and he can come in playing a little closer to the old Pickles.
Couldn’t agree more. Unfortunately his past few years have been sufficiently disappointing that many people forget just how good he was in his prime. I hope he found the fountain of youth during his recovery and looks a little like the Vlasic of the 2010s!
Since he can play his off side, it would be really nice if Vlasic played well enough to push Rutta out of the everyday lineup.
fwiw, Vlasic no longer has a ‘no move clause’. He had one for most of his contract, but that changed and now how got a trade clause which allows him to be traded (just 3 teams on his list). That’s not happening. But if I understand correctly, he can be sent to the ‘Cuda. A ‘no move’ clause does not permit that. The no trade clause does. So if the Sharks wind up with too many healthy d-men, there’s a choice to be made. As many comments in the prior post indicated, he was a superb d-man — HOF caliber… Read more »
Given that this team appears to be headed for a bottom five finish once again, I don’t mind the Sharks keeping Vlasic around in favor of Thrun or Mukhamadullin. Neither has come in and looked so good that it would be a clear detriment to send them back down for more seasoning. They’ll most likely end up back in the NHL after the trade deadline anyway.
Agreed. A quick look at the ‘Cuda and I get a sense Vlasic isn’t blocking anyone.
Thompson? Already got a look, rather him play on the ‘Cuda and get more ice time. Cagnoni? He needs as much AHL time as possible. Schuldt? Carlsson? Two older guys doing well, but does Grier think they need a NHL look?
Bottom line, Sharks can live with Vlasic this season. Next year, a buyout is a strong consideration because I can’t the Sharks placing him with the ‘Cuda.
I think Thompson might get called back up once Ceci is traded. Would love to see the D run with Shakir, Thrun, Thompson after the TDL. Give them the last 20 (?) games to show their worth. Then adjust in the off season if necessary.
Maybe
Ferraro – Lily
Thrun – Thompson
Shakir – Rutta/Vlasic
(can’t see Rutta with trade interest, but who knows)
Maybe they can ice 10 rookies in a game after the TDL!! 😀
I’ve said in the past, he’s the perfect healthy scratch. Just keep him around for emergencies when they can’t call anyone up fast enough. Otherwise keep him in the NHL and send young guys down that are waivers exempt.
I love that Graf just slots right in on that kid line. One silver lining to this losing streak is that it has given Warsofsky a little more leeway to let the kids play, and play together. The Sharks aren’t going to play meaningful hockey down the stretch, so the season becomes about prioritizing other areas of development, like putting young guys into critical situations or giving them the opportunity to build chemistry. Smith and Celebrini obviously have some already, and in general the young players on this team possess so much more natural talent than the vets. Getting to… Read more »
I would love to see Smith back at 2C as soon as Granny is traded. For this team to become really competitive they’re going to need him to pan out at center. The more I’ve started reading and watching the top prospects, the more I hope the Sharks land Schaefer in the draft.
Put on my Vlasic heritage sweater from a few years back. The only two current Sharks that I have a sweater is Vlasic and Couture (Outdoor game Couture sweater).