Vincent Iorio has settled with his new team.

The San Jose Sharks claimed Iorio off waivers on Oct. 16 from the Washington Capitols – whose fanbase was somewhat disgruntled to lose the 2021 second-round pick for nothing in return.

In the last few weeks, Iorio has moved into a place in San Jose and played some of his best hockey.

So what’s an NHL scout seen from Iorio so far this season? What’s the 23-year-old defenseman’s next step, according to head coach Ryan Warsofsky? And what does Iorio think of…RJ Celebrini?

One adjustment Iorio didn’t have to make when he arrived in San Jose was getting to know Macklin Celebrini. Both players are from North Vancouver, their families grew up together, and Iorio has joined Celebrini for a few summer skates previously.

Over Christmas, the two were in Vancouver, and on Dec. 26, they hopped on the ice together. Also skating were Macklin’s older and younger brothers.

“I skated with Mack, RJ, and Aiden with our hockey coach, friend, fantasy football buddy, Cole Todd,” Iorio said. “It was just good to get our legs, honestly. It was a good little holiday skate. We got some puck touches. It was a lot of fun to see Aiden and RJ too.”

Iorio called 13-year-old RJ a “legit carbon copy of Mack” with the skills he brings in practice.

“He’s a very good player. I give him a hard time because he’s so young, but for his age and to see what he’s doing. I haven’t watched him in a game, but to see what he does in practice and the skill that he has,” Iorio said. “It’s crazy stuff.”

And on the 27th, instead of a pre-dawn wake-up to catch an early flight to Vancouver for the Sharks game against the Canucks, Iorio got to comfortably wake up in his hometown.

“It was perfect. It was really nice. I stayed the night at the hotel downtown, woke up, went for a nice walk, had a nice coffee at one of the coffee shops, Caffé Artigiano, and just enjoyed the city. It’s my home. I love it there. The brisk, fresh air, the coolness,” Iorio said. “Just being home for the holidays, best time ever.”

The San Jose Sharks and Iorio proceeded to take home the win in his first NHL appearance in front of his hometown crowd. Iorio notched an assist in a 6-3 win.

Christmas was one of the only opportunities the Sharks have had to slow down this season. With the speed of games played in an Olympic year, it’s been a busy time for Iorio, without a lot of time to get to explore San Jose.

But Iorio said his favorite spot has been going over to Tyler and Cat Toffoli’s house.

“Going over to Toff’s, that’s what I like the most honestly, is spending time with the guys away from the rink. I think it’s so important, and building that culture and that family-oriented style, it’s so cool.”

With the Sharks upcoming road schedule, Iorio said he’s excited to spend more time with his teammates on the road and have more time to bond.

And on the ice, the 23-year-old is getting connected with his teammates more too. He’s been paired mostly with Mario Ferraro and fellow youngster Sam Dickinson.

As two young defensemen for San Jose, Dickinson and Iorio have gotten close, working together to get better and grow as defensemen.

“Him and I have built quite the friendship. He’s a really amazing guy, amazing friend, and just a really cool character. And he’s a hell of a player, too. So for the two of us, just continuing to play simple. I know we’re going to make mistakes along the way, and learning from those mistakes and continuing. We do a lot of video with Houds (assistant coach Doug Houda) and with Warso (Ryan Warsofsky). So just continuing to learn and eliminate those mistakes.”

As for his growth and learning so far with the Sharks, Iorio said he had to get adjusted to the new environment, after only spending time in the organization that drafted him four years ago.

Settling into that confidence, Warsofsky said he’s seen Iorio’s best hockey recently.

“He’s being more assertive. That’s something we’ve talked to him about when it comes to defending, playing more on his toes, closing his gaps,” Warsofsky said recently. “But I’d say he’s playing some of his best hockey since we’ve gotten him here, so we’re seeing some improvement with him.”

Iorio has three assists in 20 games this season, averaging 16:25 a night. Notably, he’s dressed for 12 of the last 13 Sharks games, some testament to his improving consistency.

Warsofsky added on Wednesday afternoon, on the eve of the 6-foot-4 defender’s first game at Capital One Arena as a member of the San Jose Sharks, “He’s got good size. He’s got the play to the ability to make plays. It’s going to come down to, can he defend against bigger people? Being a big guy, we’ve seen it at times, he can do it. He gets away from it a little bit.”

In terms of what the two organizations have asked of him, Iorio said things haven’t changed too much.

He wants to keep his game simple, while working on contributing offensively.

“I know what I can bring on the ice in terms of breaking pucks out,” Iorio said. “I think I still have a long way to go for that, but for right now, just being solid foundationally as a D-man, making sure you close plays, be firm and break the puck out to guys like Mack and Eky, and let them do all the work.”

The Sharks are willing to be patient with Iorio and have been willing to play some roster gymnastics to keep him – and their  other young defensemen like Dickinson – with the Sharks.

Since picking up Iorio, San Jose has had nine defensemen on their roster at times. While injuries have eased some of that load at times, when all nine are healthy, it limits the team’s ability to carry other forwards.

The Sharks have clearly been trying to avoid exposing Iorio to waivers again.

Warsofsky highlighted Tampa Bay Lightning’s Darren Raddysh as an example of a defenseman being given time to develop, until the right moment for them to step up their play and come into their own. Raddysh bounced around in the AHL with three NHL organizations, before establishing himself an everyday player as a 27-year-old. He’s now a point-per-game blueliner for the Lightning.

A less lofty comp, right-hander Ty Emberson, who the San Jose Sharks claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers in the summer of 2023, has developed into a credible bottom-pairing blueliner for Stanley Cup contender Edmonton Oilers.

Either way, the Sharks are intrigued enough by Iorio to keep him around and keep developing him.

“It takes time. Right shot D are obviously hard to find. We like the toolset. We like the makeup of the player,” Warsofsky said. “Stack some games together. Are you going to play 82 perfect games in every year? It’s not going to happen. But can you be consistent enough, five, six games [in a row], and okay, the seventh game might just be your B-game, but it’s still suitable.”

“Solid waiver pickup. Needs to get stronger, but efficient puck play, long and mobile. Really like his transition game,” an NHL scout, not with the San Jose Sharks, said of Vincent Iorio‘s play in teal so far. “Potential to be a steady third-pairing type.”

“It’s how you evolve as a young player in this league,” Warsofsky said of Iorio’s improving consistency. “We’ve seen that with Mack and Will and Eky and what have you. That’s the next step of progression for him.”