An NHL team is home to a number of different storylines, all intertwining and interacting, twisting and turning into the tapestry of history. Some are team based, as the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in the heat of battle, looking to take the first step in their playoff campaign by defeating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round for a third straight season. Others are individual and quite overt, for example Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman joining Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as elite playoff performers producers.
As much as these star players will have an impact on the Oilers success, NHL teams might be just as influenced by the weakest parts of their rosters. Each playoff victory requires efforts and contributions from all the active players on a team, each with their own stories, coming together to form a whole. A lack of depth, dimension, or definition can sink the hopes of a team, even with a handful of star players. There will be some players who are of lesser quality on a team, but with the right skills and circumstances they can still elevate the group.
One thing is for certain, when it comes to the Oilers, right shot defenceman Vincent Desharnais is far from the team’s weakest link. Desharnais has truly arrived as an integral piece of the Oilers lineup, fully embraced his role, and has continued to add touch and savvy to his repertoire. Let’s take a look into what Desharnais brings to the table, where he has come from as a player, and where he might go in the future.
History in pro hockey
Statistics can be useful if applied properly, but there are very few that are perfectly efficient catch alls within themselves. Life and hockey are chaos, inherently unpredictable, an endless flow of wrenches thrown into the best laid plans. Specifically as it pertains to hockey prospecting, models that measure and convert point production across leagues and ages are useful but imperfect. Scoring is an obvious way to stand out, a very tangible measurement to work with. Blazing speed or dazzling puck control are both discernible to those watching. Other attributes are much harder to discern, especially from a distance.
Desharnais has fought his way up the ranks without any sort of offensive production, perhaps even in spite of the lack thereof. Instead, Desharnais has progressed slowly, adding to his game, earning his coaches’ trust one league at a time. While many prospects burst onto the scene after scoring their way through lower levels, Desharnais has become a full time NHLer thanks to his defensive game.
It has been a much longer path than we are used to, as Desharnais debuted as a rookie last season at age 26, but his relatively advanced age for a sophomore should not be viewed as a sign that there is no room for growth. Desharnais has shown a willingness to hone his craft through a full college career, as well as seasons spent in the AHL and ECHL. Being exposed to elite players will only increase his ability to gain experience, honing his game against elite speed and skill, and finding ways to incorporate those lessons into his game.
In last season’s playoffs we saw Desharnais get caught off guard by some of the NHLs best. Not much can prepare you for the overwhelming talent of players like Jack Eichel attacking off the rush. This season we have already seen Desharnais adapt, handling tough assignments with better results. He has been better at managing and mitigating his shortcomings, like his skating, puck handling, and passing.
There are some encouraging historical comparables that can be used to support the idea that Desharnais still has a long NHL career ahead. There have been tall defensive defencemen that have enjoyed long careers with primes in their 30s. Zdeno Chara is a Hall of Fame talent, and likely too lofty a comparison, but others like Hal Gill enjoyed great careers beyond their 20s.
Team context
Evaluating Desharnais in a vacuum is one thing, but to truly understand how important he is to the Oilers is to examine how he fits into the team. Yes, his size, handedness, and cap hit are all things to be valued, but there is more to it than that.
In what has become an annual tradition, the Oilers got off to a slow start through the fall portion of the 2022–23 season. The Oilers were not nearly as strong defensively as they are now, a truth exemplified by the very personnel of the blueline. Edmonton’s right side was composed of Evan Bouchard, Tyson Barrie, and Cody Ceci. For starters, neither Barrie nor Bouchard were ready for meaningful penalty killing minutes, especially for a team with championship aspirations.
Enter Desharnais. Former Coach Jay Woodcroft got creative to solve the problem, using seven defencemen in his lineup. The Oilers lack of defensive talent on the right side forced Desharnais into the lineup. It was from this unlikely mid-season call up that Desharnais started to do as he seems to do, earn the trust of his coaches and teammates. What started as a specialist role as a penalty killer and a late game lead defender for his AHL coach has blossomed into a regular role in a very strong top six with a new coach.
The Oilers third pairing, with Brett Kulak as Desharnais’ partner, has played extremely well over their more than season long union. Towards the back half of the season, the duo was pushing the second pair of Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci for minutes, earning trust against higher calibre competition. Nurse and Ceci both take more criticism than they deserve, and have pulled ahead now that the playoffs are here.
Still, this is a best case scenario for the Oilers. Desharnais showed some signs of being capable of a role even higher in the lineup, if not now, with this partner, then maybe in the future. It’s a sign of a good team to have enough depth and dimension to handle all of the defensive situations the Oilers will have to navigate on their path to glory.
Future with Edmonton
Desharnais is a UFA this offseason. His league wide profile is not very high, and his point production certainly does not jump off a page, but it’s very possible that GMs from around the league will be circling should Desharnais decide to test the open market.
There are certainly all ends of hypotheticals at play in contract negotiations, even beyond the years or the dollars, and locale. Desharnais has earned the right to listen elsewhere. Might he be compelled to stay for loyalty, a role, the chance to win? It is quite likely that whatever combination of years and cap dollars he commands that the Oilers would be getting a good deal.
What is certain is that Desharnais is a great fit on the Oilers, and both sides would do well to extend together.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
