SAN JOSE — A collective sigh of relief could be heard throughout Sharks territory Monday when defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic took the ice at practice.

Vlasic left Saturday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks at 4:44 of the second period after taking a slapshot to the throat area, but every indication suggests that the Sharks top shutdown blue liner will be healthy enough to suit up for Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils at SAP Center.

“Big relief,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “He’s obviously a big part for us as we know. It could have been a lot worse, and thankfully, it wasn’t.”

The news on Joakim Ryan is less optimistic.

DeBoer said that Ryan, who missed Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury, will be out for “seven to 10 days”, which is why the team recalled defenseman Tim Heed from the AHL Barracuda Monday.

At this point, it’s unclear whether DeBoer will skate Heed against the Devils or veteran Paul Martin, who suited up for his first NHL game since Dec. 7 on Saturday. Martin looked rusty during Saturday’s game, receiving 10:10 of ice time and just three shifts during the third period, forcing the Sharks to close out the game with just four defensemen in the wake of Vlasic’s injury.

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Melker Karlsson also practiced Monday after leaving Saturday’s game just 3:17 into the first period with a lower-body injury, the result of a blocked shot. Karlsson is expected to play Tuesday assuming he isn’t hit with a setback.

Joonas Donskoi, who suffered an apparent left-shoulder injury in Edmonton on March 14, skated before practice Monday. DeBoer labeled his status as day to day.