""I don't want to get into a he said, she said-type situation," Grier said. "I'll just say, I'm fine with how I ended the meeting with him. I thought I was pretty clear about the possibilities of things. If he kind of mistook some words from myself or the coaches, that was never our intention to not be upfront with him.""
""To his point, we did appreciate the time he and the effort he spent to try and mentor some of our young guys, and we're very appreciative of that, and the attitude he had throughout the last couple of years. ... It was just a decision I had to make and what I thought was best for the organization.""
""I still have a residence in San Jose," Vlasic told reporters in August. "It would have been honest of them to tell me right after the season, 'By the way, we may (buy out your contract), so prepare your house.' Instead, they did it (in late June). "Now, I have a lot of things to think about.""
Marc-Edouard Vlasic expected to return for a 20th season in San Jose and still maintains a residence there, but his contract was bought out in late June. Mike Grier says he warned Vlasic about the possibility of a change, provided a heads-up once the buyout decision was finalized, and does not regret the move. Grier acknowledged Vlasic's mentorship of younger defensemen and his effort while managing an upper back injury. The buyout removed a $7 million annual cap hit as the Sharks pursue significant defensive changes after a 20-50-12 season and league-high goals allowed.
Read at The Mercury News
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