SAN JOSE, Calif. –
San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager
Doug Wilson announced today that the team has signed defenseman
Marc-Edouard Vlasic to a four-year contract extension.
“Marc-Edouard is one of the top young defenseman in the game and we are excited to have him in to fold for the next several years,” said Wilson. “He has a tremendous future with this franchise and we look forward to watching his continued development.”
Vlasic played in all 82 games for the Sharks in 2007-08, notching 14 points (2-12=14) and 24 penalty minutes. The second year defenseman ranked third on the team in blocked shots (85) and average ice time (21:36).
In 2006-07, Vlasic posted 26 points (3-23=26) in 81 games during his rookie campaign in which he was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team. His 23 assists were tied for seventh among all NHL rookies and also placed him sixth on the Sharks all-time single season list for rookies.
His +14 plus/minus rating finished third on the team (first among all blueliners), fourth among all NHL rookies and second all-time for a Sharks rookie. Vlasic averaged 22:11 in ice time per game, over one and a half minutes more than any other NHL rookie and second overall on the Sharks.
Vlasic, who became the youngest Sharks defenseman to make the team out of training camp since
Brad Stuart in 1999-00, was voted by Bay Area media as the PlayStation “Sharks Rookie of the Year”. His 132 blocked shots were second among all NHL rookies and second on the team.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound native of Montreal, Quebec was originally selected by San Jose in the second round (35th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.