Sharks claim Iorio off waivers, place Liljegren on IR

The San Jose Sharks claimed defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers from the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

Iorio was the lone player placed on the waiver wire on Wednesday, and the Sharks had the top priority for claiming players as a result of finishing 32nd in the NHL standings in 2024-25.

Come November 1, the priority order will shift from the prior season’s standings to an inverse of those of the current season.

Iorio, a 22-year-old second-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft, was a healthy scratch for the Capitals through their first four games of the season, but a roster spot had to come open to accommodate another forward after an injury to Pierre-Luc Dubois with defenseman Dylan McIlrath nearing a return from his own injury.

The #SJSharks have claimed defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers.

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 16, 2025

According to Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis, Iorio was the No. 8 prospect in a strong Washington pipeline. The British Columbia native had 20 points in 67 games with the AHL Hershey Bears a year ago, and now he will get the chance to contribute to a San Jose blue line in dire need of reinforcements.

The Sharks placed Timothy Liljegren on injured reserve to open a roster spot for Iorio after the former suffered an injury during Tuesday night’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky had previously described Liljegren as questionable for the team’s next game on Friday night.

The same applied to another one of the team’s experienced defenseman in John Klingberg, who was also banged up in the game against Carolina, making his status uncertain in the near future as well.

The Sharks are off to an 0-1-2 start to the season, losing a pair of heartbreakers in overtime before a blowout loss to the Hurricanes.

San Jose will look to pick up its first win of the season on Friday night when it visits the Utah Mammoth for a 6:00 PM Pacific Time puckdrop.