After the 2021-22 season, defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic looked like he would never return to his peak powers as one of the best shutdown defensemen in the league. In fact, he was a prime candidate for a buyout. But, new General Manager Mike Grier kept Vlasic and dealt Brent Burns instead, giving the Sharks some much-needed cap breathing room. While the rebuild word was never uttered at SAP Center, everyone knew 2022-23 was not a Stanley Cup season. Keeping Vlasic around was, at the very least, a body to fill a roster spot. But Vlasic seemed to know he could be…