The San Jose Sharks and the rest of the NHL’s first contract buyout window will open on June 20th.
Following the Florida Panthers’ win of their second straight Stanley Cup on Tuesday, the first window opens 48 hours after the playoffs end. For the Sharks, that means deciding on 38-year-old Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s future.
Vlasic enters the 25-26 season on the final year of his eight-year $7 million AAV contract. Rumors of the longest-tenured Sharks player being bought out have been circulating for multiple years.
Daily Face-Off listed Vlasic as one of the top seven candidates to be bought out this summer.
It doesn’t make sense for the San Jose Sharks to buy out Vlasic’s final year of contract. The Sharks need to spend around $17 million to get to the cap floor this off-season. San Jose still has Martin Jones and Nikolai Knyzhov on their books for previous buyouts.
If Sharks GM Mike Grier decides to buy out Vlasic, he would remain on the salary cap for two years. In 25-26, Vlasic’s buyout cap hit is $4,666,667. The second year of his buyout cap hit would be lower, but it would still be $1,166,667.
Money aside, the Sharks need his work ethic off the ice
An NHL veteran of 1,323 games, all with the San Jose Sharks, Vlasic has seen a decline in play. Formerly known as one of, if not the best, defensive defensemen in the game, Vlasic’s time in the NHL appears to be nearing an end.
Last season, Vlasic became the NHL’s all-time leader in blocked shots after blocking his 2,165th shot on March 4th.
While he doesn’t have a letter on his jersey, Vlasic is a veteran presence who will give the young roster advice. After dealing with an upper-body injury most of 24-25, Vlasic put his head down and went to work. Vlasic appeared in 27 games.
He’s never complained about playing time or his role; he’s gone to work every day to be the best he can be. Even if the results aren’t what they used to be, that mentality and work ethic sends a message to the rest of his teammates.
“When you play [for a] long time, injuries happen. I’m dealing with one now, but I still play. I still love to play,” Vlasic said after the Sharks’ season. “The young guys know. I was told when I came in, enjoy it. It goes by fast, and I tell them the same thing. I didn’t believe the players that told me. Now, 19 years later, I’m here. I have very few years left compared to what I did. I play as long as I can, as long as I still enjoy it, and I still do.”
While the San Jose Sharks veteran still enjoys the game, he’s realistic. He understands his time in the NHL is almost up, but he still provides meaningful messages to the locker room.
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