Sharks get ‘little stuff' right vs. Sabres on Vlasic's historic night
Sharks get 'little stuff' right vs. Sabres on Vlasic's historic night originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Editor's note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California's Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on X at @Sheng_Peng.
BUFFALO — 'It's the little stuff.'
The Sharks won their second consecutive game Tuesday, trouncing the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 at KeyBank Center.
Timothy Liljegren, Nico Sturm, William Eklund, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Tyler Toffoli scored … but that's not what San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky wanted to talk about.
'It should probably be the storyline of this game,' Warsofsky said about Marc-Edouard Vlasic setting the NHL's all-time blocked shots record with 2,165.
Marc-Édouard Vlasic reacts to his new status as the NHL's all-time leader in blocked shots 💪 pic.twitter.com/5FK7l0spis
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) March 5, 2025
It's telling that nobody online, in my cursory search, clipped this remarkable unremarkable play, Vlasic (44) setting the blocked shots record.
'I think that as a coach is what I look for,' Warsofsky said. 'The goals and the assists and the points are great, but those are the things, when you start building the culture, is what you start seeing.'
Those weren't the only little things that contributed to a rare Sharks' rout.
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RALEIGH, N.C. — Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin has had respect around the NHL for his play since he entered the league early in the 2015-16 season, but his performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off took it to new heights. A big reason for that? Slavin had the opportunity to play with another elite defenseman, Minnesota's Brock Faber. While Dougie Hamilton, Tony DeAngelo and Brent Burns all had their strengths as former Slavin partners, Faber's well-wounded game made them the best shutdown pairing of the tournament. Advertisement While Burns' return to Carolina isn't out of the realm of possibility, it's probably time for the 40-year-old to take a lesser role — he logged nearly 21 minutes per game last season — should he come back to Raleigh. And that means a new partner for Slavin. The Hurricanes have the cap space and assets to do just about anything they want this summer — assuming there are willing trade partners or free agents who want to sign in Carolina — and a top-pairing partner for Slavin is undoubtedly a consideration. The Hurricanes think they have a future star in Alexander Nikishin, and it should help that he will have the luxury of playing behind Slavin to start on the left side of Carolina's defense. With Dmitry Orlov expected to head to free agency, Jalen Chatfield seems like an ideal partner for Nikishin. Still, Chatfield should be considered an option alongside Slavin, given that he took on more minutes this year and didn't miss a beat in his third season as a full-time NHLer. Playing Slavin and Chatfield together, however, would put Carolina's two best defensive defensemen together, and Chatfield had 11 fewer points than Burns' 29 last year. Carolina could try Shayne Gostisbehere on his off side in an effort to add more point production to the top pairing, and Slavin would certainly cover for some of Gostisbehere's (often overstated) defensive shortcomings. That said, Gostisbehere — who was fifth on the team in scoring with 45 points, tops among defensemen — had a pedestrian 18 even-strength points in 2024-25. Sean Walker might be the best internal fit. He had an underwhelming 16 points — the fewest among the Hurricanes' top six defensemen — last season in his first year in Raleigh, but there seems to be untapped scoring potential, and Walker has shown a willingness to be aggressive offensively. Advertisement The wild card is Scott Morrow, who looked justifiably overwhelmed at times when forced into action against Florida in the Eastern Conference final but who fits the profile of an ideal Slavin running mate. 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The Hurricanes explored adding Erik Karlsson when the defenseman was traded from San Jose to Pittsburgh, and a deal for him might be more palatable with just two years remaining on a contract that costs $11.5 million against the cap. But after winning the Norris Trophy with a 101-point season with the Sharks in 2022-23, the 35-year-old barely matched that point total in two years with the Penguins (109 points while playing all 82 games each season). Like Slavin, Karlsson looked good in the 4 Nations tournament, so maybe there's more left in the tank if he gets to play alongside an elite defender. Advertisement New Jersey would probably love to get out of the final two years of Dougie Hamilton's deal, but that ship has likely sailed for Carolina, especially given Hamilton's injury issues and drop in production. Philadelphia's Rasmus Ristolainen (one year remaining with a $5.1 million cap hit) had a bounce-back season and would bring needed snarl to the blue line, but he's not exactly an analytics darling. The Flyers also reportedly turned down a Toronto offer for Ristolainen ahead of the deadline. The pie-in-the-sky option would be Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin. While Dahlin is a lefty, he's adept at playing the right side and would surely welcome a chance to be on a competitor. The Sabres would be unwise to consider it, and even if they did, the return in a trade would cost the Hurricanes a boatload of assets. The name that makes the most sense is Aaron Ekblad, the former No. 1 draft pick who has been a reliable top-pairing defenseman for the Panthers throughout his career. Ekblad's priority is to remain in South Florida, and his cost on the open market would be exorbitant — and Carolina seems unlikely to pony up a big-ticket, seven-year contract for a 29-year-old defenseman. That said, his combination of size, skill and the ability to play in all situations would make him a fit. The rest of the market is thin. DeAngelo is again available, and John Klingberg has breathed life into his career with a good playoff run with the Oilers. Still, neither feels like an upgrade to Burns, or to what the team already has in-house. Dante Fabbro also revived his career after going to Columbus, but he too seems like a stretch as a top-pairing guy on a contender. The Hurricanes don't have their third-round pick in the 2026 draft, making a run at an RFA a little more difficult unless they're willing to give up four first-rounders on a contract worth more than $11.7 million or if the player's team is willing to discuss a trade. Edmonton's Evan Bouchard and the Islanders' Noah Dobson — the No. 10 and No. 12 overall picks in the 2018 draft, respectively — are young, right-handed defensemen due new deals. The Oilers will do everything in their power to re-sign Bouchard, but they're facing a cap crunch and also must consider that Connor McDavid is due a new contract after next season. It's unlikely Carolina would pay Bouchard close to twice the amount Slavin is earning on his contract (under $6.4 million). Dobson had a down year, which should make a deal with the Islanders easier (see Martin Necas' bridge deal), and there are also questions about his viability as a top-pairing player — though he certainly has all the tools. There are some left-handed RFAs as well — K'Andre Miller, Nic Hague and Bowen Bryam top the list —though that's not a need for Carolina unless the team plans to rethink its defense. Advertisement The most important thing to remember with the Hurricanes is that they're not scared of making waves, and there could very well be a major move outside of these options that would surprise everyone. The Islanders' Ryan Pulock comes to mind. (Photo of Jaccob Slavin: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)
