Vlasic dished out two assists in a 5-2 win over Colorado on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

The rearguard grabbed the primary apples on two of Patrick Marleau's four (!) third-period goals in this one, bringing him up to a modest 15 points in 43 games this season. Six of those -- all assists -- have come in the last eight games, so if Vlasic is available on the wire and you've got a vacancy on the blue line, it might be time to pounce.

Vlasic (face) was great in his return from injury, posting two points, a plus-3 rating and a whopping seven blocked shots.

EDGE Analysis

The man they call "Pickles" showed no signs of rust after sitting out the last four contests, impacting the scoresheet in a multitude of ways. Even with the pair of points, however, Vlasic now only has 11 in 36 games this year and isn't likely to come anywhere close to the 39 he put up in 2015-16 (in just 67 games, to boot).

Vlasic (face) is expected to play Tuesday on the road against Edmonton, Derek Van Diest of NHL.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vlasic missed the last four games due to the ailment but took part in Tuesday's morning skate and is expected to link up with Justin Braun on the Sharks' second defensive pairing. The 29-year-old is off his 39-goal pace reached in the 2015-16 campaign, but he has tallied two in his last four games.

Vlasic (face) will be a game-time decision against the Oilers on Tuesday, Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vlasic will likely replace Mirco Mueller in the lineup if he is cleared to play. The defenseman remains on injured reserve per the NHL Media Site, which means he will need to be activated still before he can suit up.

Vlasic (face) will make the trip to Edmonton for Tuesday's matchup, Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vlasic will be a game-time decision against the Oilers, but even if he is unable to give it a go, should be probably be considered an option for Wednesday's contest versus Calgary. The defenseman will almost certainly slot into the Sharks' second pairing alongside justin Braun once healthy and could be inline to reclaim his spot on the power play where he was averaging 2:12 of ice time per night. If Vlasic is cleared to play, Mirco Mueller figures to be watching from the press box with Tim Heed likely returned to the minors.

Vlasic (face) will not be activated off injured reserve, effectively ruling him out against Detroit on Saturday, Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group reports.

EDGE Analysis

This will mark Vlasic's fourth consecutive missed game after taking a puck to the face. The blueliner has not registered a goal since Nov. 12, a span of 20 contests. During his scoring drought, the 29-year-old has garnered a mere three helpers. Despite his offensive struggles, Vlasic continues to log big minutes when in the lineup (21:07), including time on the power play (2:12).

Vlasic (face) could return Saturday against Detroit, Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area reports.

EDGE Analysis

The defenseman took a puck to the face in the Dec. 30 game and has missed time since. He is reportedly still in pain, but not ruling himself out for Saturday yet. so owners should keep their eyes peeled closer to puck drop. If he is unable to return, he'll get another shot Tuesday.

Vlasic (face) was placed on injured reserve Monday.

EDGE Analysis

The rearguard took a puck to the face Friday and appears relatively banged up as a result. The team noted that Vlasic doesn't require surgery, however, so there's optimism that he could return as soon as he's eligible, which would be Saturday against the Red Wings. Still, owners shouldn't hold their breath for his return until more information surfaces regarding a more specific timetable.

Vlasic (face) is not with the Sharks for their Saturday road matchup with the Kings, Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vlasic took a puck to the face in the final seconds of Friday's 2-0 win over the Flyers and it appears that he'll need at least one game off to recover. The earliest reports are that it is on the less-serious side, but given the ailment is in a sensitive area, it makes sense that the Sharks are being cautious with the blueliner. In the meantime, Paul Martin and Brenden Dillon figure to pick up minutes while Vlasic returns to full strength.

Vlasic picked up a power-play assist in Friday's 2-0 win over the Flyers, but the defenseman took a puck to the face in the final 30 seconds of the game and had to be assisted off the ice.

EDGE Analysis

Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area writes that he caught up with Sharks coach Pete DeBoer after the game and asked how Vlasic is doing. "I don't know yet for sure. It looks -- as bad as it looked and as bad as it probably is," DeBoer said. "I've got my fingers crossed. The initial reports are that I don't believe it's that serious, so that's good." It's too soon to tell if Pickles will be available for Saturday's road game against the Kings, but the bench boss expressed his doubts about the defenseman being fit to play in that one.