Marc-Edouard Vlasic had expected to don a San Jose Sharks jersey for at least one more season. Instead, the veteran defenseman was blindsided by a contract buyout, leaving him to navigate a sudden career shift after spending his entire professional life with the team. Fans witnessed a longtime Sharks stalwart suddenly on his own, prompting questions about what went wrong between Vlasic and the organization.

The confusion stemmed from Vlasic’s expectations following his exit interview. “I had a good end-of-season interview [with the team]. They told me that I played well, especially defensively, and that they liked that I was a mentor to the young guys. They told me they wanted me to do that next year, so when I left, I thought I’d come back.”

However, Vlasic was placed on unconditional w

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