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6 hours ago
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The San Jose Sharks have been the only pro hockey team Marc-Edouard Vlasic has ever known.
But if the defenseman wants to continue his NHL career, it'll have to be elsewhere.
The Sharks announced on Thursday that they've placed Vlasic on waivers for the purposes of a contract buyout.
Vlasic was a second-round pick by the Sharks in 2005 from Quebec. The 6-foot-1 left D-man came to San Jose and never left.
He appeared in 1,323 games with the Sharks across 19 NHL seasons. That included 379 points (84 goals, 295 assists).
He averaged 20 minutes and 41 seconds per game in his Sharks career, despite the last five seasons coming nowhere near that. In the earlier stages of his career, Vlasic was on the ice a ton.
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Vlasic also finished with 2,048 shot blocks and 685 hits in his Sharks career.
"This was a difficult decision to make today, with how much Marc has meant to the San Jose organization for 19 years,” GM Mike Grier said in a release. "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.
"With over 1,300 games in the NHL, he brought immense expertise and experience to the organization daily, and was selected to represent his country on multiple occasions at the highest level. 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."
Now 38 years old, this could be it for Vlasic. But if he wants to keep playing, there might be a team looking for a veteran defensive presence that could reach out to him now.
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