Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 2005, Marc-Edouard Vlasic played all of his 1,323 NHL games with the franchise over 19 seasons

The 38-year-old defenseman, who has played his entire 19-season NHL career with the Sharks, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if he is unclaimed. He had one season remaining on an eight-year, $56 million contract ($7 million average annual value) he signed with San Jose on July 1, 2017.

The San Jose Sharks placed longtime defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic on unconditional waivers Thursday for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract. Vlasic, 38 has been a staple in the Bay Area for the better part of the past two decades.