Sharks are buying out the final year of Marc-Edouard Vlasic's contract
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The San Jose Sharks placed longtime defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic on unconditional waivers Thursday for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract.
Vlasic, 38 has been a staple in the Bay Area for the better part of the past two decades. He has played all 1,465 games of his NHL career for the Sharks since debuting in 2006.
Hall of Famers Ray Bourque and Nicklas Lidstrom are the only defensemen who have played more games in the league with one team than Vlasic, counting the regular season and playoffs.
Vlasic was a significant part of their core during the contending days when they reached the playoffs in 13 of 14 years and went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.
'This was a difficult decision to make today, with how much Marc has meant to the San Jose organization for 19 years,' general manager Mike Grier said. 'I was fortunate enough to be here with Marc for his first season with the Sharks and knew he would become a great defenseman. Over the course of his career in the NHL, Vlasic was one of the premier shutdown defensemen, earning tough defensive assignments on the ice against the best players in the world and doing it with effectiveness.'
A native of Montreal, Vlasic was a key part of Canada's gold-medal run at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He missed much of last season because of injuries but skated in 27 games and had three points.
Vlasic was set to count $7 million against the salary cap in 2025-26. Buying him out saves San Jose $2.3 million, while counting $1.2 million extra in '26-27.
'He brought immense expertise and experience to the organization daily, and was selected to represent his country on multiple occasions at the highest level,' Grier said. 'He will go down not only as one of the best defensemen in franchise history but one of the best players. We want to thank him for his dedication and commitment to the organization, and wish him all the best.'
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Salt Lake City, as a city, is more cultural and more active than it will ever get credit for. But even with a district of clubs, led by Lake Effect on Saturday nights, that are terrific and draw a bunch of people weekly, can SLC compare to a New York or Los Angeles? Of course not. And players want to be a part of that. You can't blame twentysomethings for wanting the life of twentysomethings. Agents know this, and that's why the predraft process gets messy. Players decline to work out. Agents decline to provide medicals for teams. Agents try to steer players toward desired destinations. It's a tale as old as time. But usually, once a player gets drafted, he gets drafted. The shenanigans stop. Of course, there are times when player reaction makes for a funny story on draft night. Bailey looked like he needed to blink twice because he was in danger when shaking commissioner Adam Silver's hand Wednesday night. Collin Murray-Boyles looked less than pleased that he was drafted by the Toronto Raptors. A decade ago, Zach Lavine looked heated when he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Way back when, Steve Francis looked distraught to be drafted by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies. These things happen, and for whatever reason. A position and pathway to playing time may not be there. Maybe the player doesn't like snow. Maybe the state taxes are high. There are differing reasons. But usually, the player realizes the money that's at stake, shows up and begins the countdown toward unrestricted free agency. In all likelihood, that's what will happen with Bailey and the Jazz. And if that happens, Bailey is talented enough to become a terrific NBA player. But the fact that this has been a thing is something that may spark conversation at the highest levels of the NBA. And it shines a light on what has become a dirty game behind the scenes during the predraft process. And, make no mistake. It's a game that's been played for generations. Bailey's game was played out for the public to digest. That's the only difference.
