Vlasic Doesn’t Think He’ll Get Bought Out (It Doesn’t Make Sense Anyway)

Marc-Edouard Vlasic has two years left on his contract.

Vlasic is hoping that the San Jose Sharks can get back on the winning track before the eight-year, $56 million pact expires in 2025-26.

In the interim, the 37-year-old veteran is still enjoying the game, despite the Sharks’ five seasons and counting out of the playoffs. And he’s still enjoying San Jose — he doesn’t expect to be bought out and hasn’t requested a trade.

In fact, per Puckpedia, a buyout this summer or next summer doesn’t save the Sharks all that much.

So a buyout might not make sense for a Sharks organization that projects to be flush with cap space in both off-seasons.

As for a trade, the truth is, there isn’t much of a market for the aging, expensive defenseman.

But Vlasic does show some flashes of the player who earned that contract and he’s become a leader for the young defensive corps, which helps keep him in the line-up, for now.

Vlasic, on trying to get back into the playoffs:

I haven’t talked to Logan [Couture] about that but I’ve talked last year, and I will probably do it this year, to management and say ‘I want to get back in the playoffs. We need to be competitive again.’ And I’m sure they want to. We’ve been competitive and in the playoffs so many years here. We had a winning culture and that’s what we want. That’s what I want.

It’s fun to play the season, it’s fun to play hockey, it’s fun to play games, practices, but it’s even more fun to play in the playoffs. I’ve had a taste of it, a lot guys here haven’t. And it’s a lot of fun.

Vlasic, on whether or not he would consider requesting a trade to a contender:

That hasn’t been a conversation I’ve had and that’s probably not a conversation I am going to have right now with [Mike Grier].

How much money do they have to sign free agents? I don’t know. Do they have a lot? They should have a lot. Are they going to sign free agents? If they sign free agents do we get better?

If we get better and if we are competitive, why would I leave? I have two years left on my contract with the Sharks. I haven’t asked, they haven’t asked me. I honor my contract.