Sharks Notebook: Vlasic Unhappy, Rookie Faceoff Schedule Announced & More

Although we’re still in the middle of the offseason, there has been quite a bit of news surrounding the San Jose Sharks in recent days.

Vlasic Unhappy With Sharks Departure

First, an interview published by NHL.com’s French website shed some light on Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s thoughts regarding his buyout earlier this summer. Vlasic, who the Sharks selected in the second round of the 2005 NHL Draft, played 1323 games over the course of 19 seasons with the team in teal. Following Logan Couture’s unofficial retirement this past season, he was also the final player remaining from the Sharks’ “golden era.”

Eventually, the organization announced that they were buying out the final year of Vlasic’s contract at the end of June.

During his interview with Sébastian Deschambault, Vlasic made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the way events transpired, as he seemed to think he’d be returning for the 2025-26 season. "They told me I played well, especially defensively, and that they liked me serving as a mentor for the younger players,” Vlasic said in a quote that has been translated into English. “They told me they wanted me to do that next year, so when I left, I told myself I was going to come back."

Ultimately, it seems that Vlasic wasn’t necessarily upset by the decision either. He told Deschambault, “I wasn't interested in going back there for another season.” Given the fact that Vlasic has yet to win a Stanley Cup in his nearly two-decade-long career, it’s not surprising that he would want to move on. At this point, though, he’s still an unrestricted free agent, and it appears he’s open to going to any of the other 31 NHL teams. "It doesn't bother me whether it's Vancouver, Buffalo, Florida, Tampa. I'll go wherever someone wants me."

As the season draws closer, it will certainly be interesting to see if an NHL team is willing to take a chance on Vlasic, even on a professional try-out. Otherwise, he may be heading overseas to finish his career.

Sharks Announce Rookie Faceoff Schedule

With the reduction in the number of teams attending the Rookie Faceoff, the Sharks will only compete against their California rivals this September.

Last year, the Sharks were dominant in the event. Players like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith were obvious standouts, but Quentin Musty and Luca Cagnoni were among those who made an impression as well.

The Sharks will kick off the 2025 Rookie Faceoff against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, Sept. 12, at 6 PM. They’ll then finish their part of the event against the Los Angeles Kings the following afternoon at 1 PM.

Importantly, the Sharks noted that both games will be streamed on their digital platforms without regional restrictions.

The roster is still a mystery at this point in time, though, as it will be announced closer to the start of the event.

Sharks Close to New SAP Center Deal

According to Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest, the Sharks are nearing a new lease for the SAP Center with the City of San Jose.

Given Sharks president Jonathan Becher’s comments over the past few months regarding the situation, it’s not a surprise that a deal is close to completion. However, Miller did note he hasn’t been given a timeline for when the deal will become official.

Sharks Partner With San Jose State Football

The San Jose State Spartans have announced that they’ll host “San Jose Sharks Night” on August 29 as they face off against Central Michigan.

The Spartans are looking to get off to a hot start, and build on their 7-6 record from last season.

Sharks Announce Change to Preseason Schedule

On Tuesday, the Sharks announced that their final preseason game against the Utah Mammoth had been moved up an hour. The game on October 4 was previously slated to start at 6 PM; however, it will now start at 5 PM instead. As Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News noted, this game against the Mammoth is the second half of a back-to-back, as the Sharks will be in Nevada facing the Vegas Golden Knights the previous night.

This is the Sharks' last preseason game and the second half of a back-to-back, following a 7 p.m. game in Vegas the night before pic.twitter.com/lxiE33byS1
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) August 12, 2025

Luckily for the Sharks, they’ll have plenty of time to rest from the back-to-back, as following the final preseason game, they’ll have five days until they face the Golden Knights at SAP Center to officially start the 2025-26 season.

Although we still have 55 days until the Sharks officially start the upcoming season, we’re quickly approaching training camp and preseason. As a result, news regarding the team should start becoming more and more prevalent in the coming weeks. While the Sharks still aren’t projected to be in the playoff race this season, it will certainly be an important one to see if the rebuild is truly progressing as expected, or if they’re following the footsteps of many other recent rebuilds, like the Anaheim Ducks, who have struggled to take any steps forward in the standings.