SAN JOSE >> Sharks veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic will miss time with an upper-body injury, leaving questions about whether he can return this season.

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Thursday before his team’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes that Vlasic’s injury is the same one he’s been dealing with since before the start of training camp in September. Vlasic missed the Sharks’ first 40 games before his season debut on Jan. 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Vlasic has been a regular presence in the Sharks’ lineup recently, having played each of the last 10 games before Thursday. He practiced Wednesday morning, but Warsofsky said Vlasic’s injury, which the 37-year-old defenseman said in October involved his upper back, became too bothersome.

“He’s been trying to play through it,” Warsofsky said, “and it got to the point, just after practice, was probably too much.”

Warsofsky said more might be known today about the extent of Vlasic’s injury. Vlasic has played in 17 games this season, including the 1,300th of his NHL career on Jan. 16 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and has averaged 15:28 in ice time.

The Sharks now have just 13 games remaining over the season’s final four weeks. San Jose’s last game is on April 16 at home against the Edmonton Oilers.

Asked if Vlasic’s season might be in jeopardy, Warsofsky said it was “probably too early to tell.”

Defenseman Jimmy Schuldt, recalled from the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday afternoon, played in Vlasic’s place Thursday night.

Vlasic, who will turn 38 on March 30, recently became the NHL’s all-time leader in blocked shots, passing Mark Giordano, who had 2,164 in an 18-year career. Vlasic, a second-round draft pick by the Sharks in 2005, now has 2,173 career blocks.

“He was playing OK,” Warsofsky said of Vlasic. “You could see the injury was really affecting him as of late and I think that’s been the biggest thing. He’s trying to play through it, and I’ve got to give him a lot of credit for it, but you can see that the pace of the game and what he’s dealing with is tough to play through.”

Vlasic, signed through next year, has often spoken this season about how much he still enjoys playing. He just needs his body to cooperate.

“When you miss training camp, it’s tough. You’re playing catch-up for the majority of the season,” Warsofsky said. “I give (Vlasic) a lot of credit. He worked extremely hard, gave us some good games when he first came back again while still dealing with it and managing it.

“Obviously, as we know, you get older, 36, 37, 38 years old, the game gets faster and faster every year, and it’s hard to play catch-up.”

It’s unclear how long Schuldt might remain with the Sharks. He played four games with the team earlier this month after Jake Walman was traded to the Edmonton Oilers, and was recently sent back to the Barracuda after Luca Cagnoni was recalled. Cagnoni made his NHL debut Thursday.

BURNS MILESTONE: >> Former Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, now in his 21st NHL season and third year in Carolina, extended his consecutive games played streak to 911 games Thursday. Just four players in league history have played more games in a row, as Burns moved ahead of Sharks legend Patrick Marleau on the league’s all-time list.

Only Keith Yandle, who played 1.109 games from 2006 to 2022, played more consecutive games (989) as a defenseman than Burns, who last missed a game in Nov. 2013.

Marleau dressed for 910 straight games from April 9, 2009, until his final NHL game on May 12, 2021. He retired the following year after an NHL record 1,779 games played.

Perhaps as a superstition, Burns wasn’t eager to discuss the streak after the Hurricanes’ morning skate at SAP Center. But his teammates and coaches were in awe of Burns’ consistency.

“It’s almost unheard of, to be honest,” fellow Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said of Burns’ streak. “The way he plays, too, he doesn’t shy away from anything. He’s blocking shots, getting into puck battles, and he’s doing it the right way.

“Seeing what he’s done over his career, and all the success he’s had, not only offensively, but defensively, the way he carries himself. It’s a marvel to see every day.”

Burns’ 904 career points before Thursday ranked 13th all-time among defensemen. He won the Norris Trophy after the 2016-17 season and was also a finalist for the award in 2016 and 2019.