Vlasic is the Sharks' top defensive defenseman and has a plus-15 rating, third best on the team.
"Anytime he's out you're concerned," DeBoer said. "He's a key guy for us. The silver lining I guess is it's better now than three or four weeks from now. The good news is it's not long term. He will be back."
The Sharks went 0-2-1 when Vlasic missed three games in December, but DeBoer said they have more defensive depth now. The Sharks acquired veteran defenseman Roman Polak from the Toronto Maple Leafs last month, and DeMelo now has 33 games of NHL experience.
"I think we're in a different place than we were then," DeBoer said. "I think our depth is much different than it was then, our comfort level with our group is much better. I think what goes hand in hand with that is our forward group is much better too, much deeper. I think we're much more prepared to handle that now."
Wingels has played 56 games this season and 288 in his NHL career.
"I know he's been chomping at the bit to get back in," DeBoer said. "So the nice thing is we have that depth where we can shove a guy like him right back in there."
Goaltender Martin Jones will start for the Sharks, and Henrik Lundqvist will start for the Rangers.
Lundqvist is 4-3-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average, .938 save percentage and one shutout against the Sharks. The save percentage is his highest against any NHL team.
In his only career start against the Rangers, Jones gave up four goals on 28 shots in a 4-0 loss on Oct. 19 at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers, according to coach Alain Vigneault, will use the same lineup they used in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at Staples Center.
