Vincent Iorio could be headed back to the Hershey Bears.
Friday afternoon, the San Jose Sharks placed the 23-year-old defenseman on NHL waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
If the Capitals reclaim Iorio and are the only team to submit a waiver claim for him, they would be able to assign him directly to the AHL.
Iorio spent over three months with the up-and-coming Sharks, suiting up in 21 games and recording three points — all assists. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native averaged 16:30 in ice time and was used mainly as a third-pairing defenseman.
Iorio has been healthy-scratched the last six games as defenseman Vincent Desharnais returned to the lineup. Desharnais missed the previous seven weeks due to an elbow injury.
The Sharks’ move comes after they blew a 3-0 lead to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, losing 4-3 in overtime. As of Friday morning, the Sharks are carrying 22 players on their active 23-man roster with forwards Kiefer Sherwood and Philipp Kurashev and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin all on injured reserve.
Per the Mercury News Curtis Pashelka:
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said last week that Mukhamadullin was getting closer to a return, and that he was optimistic that Kurashev and Sherwood could be activated before the end of the team’s road trip on Feb. 4. All three players were dealing with upper body injuries.
The Sharks originally acquired the 23-year-old rearguard via a waiver claim from the Capitals on October 16. The two-time Calder Cup-winning defenseman made the Capitals’ Opening Night roster, but the team opted to put him on waivers in an attempt to sneak him down to the AHL when Dylan McIlrath returned from injury in the opening weeks of the season.
The Sharks have had an exciting season and massively exceeded expectations, as Macklin Celebrini has broken out as a superstar. The team sits only one point out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 58 standings points. Celebrini ranks fourth in NHL scoring, notching 79 points (27g, 52a) in 52 games. He trails only Connor McDavid (94), Nathan MacKinnon (88), and Nikita Kucherov (82).
If Iorio ends up back in the Capitals organization, his return would be a major boost for the Bears. Hershey was without four of their regular defensemen on Wednesday night against the Rochester Americans, with Cam Allen (upper body), Ryan Chesley (lower body), Aaron Ness (upper body), and David Gucciardi (upper body) all out due to injury. Complicating matters, the team recently parted ways with reserve defenseman Nicky Lievermann who asked out to pursue an opportunity overseas.
