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‘We’re going to be a very good D-core. Very hard to play against and our zone is going to be a war zone. I don’t think forwards are going to enjoy coming in front of our net.’ — Desharnais
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Published Jul 03, 2024 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 4 minute read
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Oilers defenceman Vincent Desharnais absorbs hard hit from new Canucks teammate J.T. Miller during Game 4 of a first-round playoff series May 14 in Edmonton. Photo by Codie McLachlan /Getty Images
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Gratefulness rings through in the engaging tone of towering and talkative defenceman Vincent Desharnais.
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“If you look at the odds, I shouldn’t be here,” the Vancouver Canucks’ free-agent acquisition admitted Wednesday of his long and winding road to the NHL. “Every day in the best league in the world is a great day. I’ve had adversity, and when I go to bed at night, I just remind myself that I’m playing with the best players and it’s going to happen.
“If you’re grateful every day, you embrace it more. I don’t take one day for granted because it’s so hard to make it.”
The 6-foot-7 Desharnais signed a two-year, $4-million US contract, and had the pendulum swung the other way, he might still be with the Edmonton Oilers, if they wanted to boost his expiring $762,500 salary cap hit and give him a second season.
However, they had to make room for restricted free agent Philip Broberg, 23, and didn’t trade third-pairing blueliner Cody Ceci, 30, on Monday, who has a year left at $3.25 million. They did land Josh Brown, 30, in free agency the same day and gave the 6-foot-5 defender a three-year deal with an annual average value of $1 million.
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The Oilers took a chance on Desharnais as a seventh-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. The 28-year-old Laval, Que. native rewarded the gamble by playing hard and becoming a key shot-blocking cog on the NHL’s top-ranked playoff penalty kill at a gaudy 94.3 per cent efficiency.
And he never complained. Even when scratched in Game 3 of the 2024 Western Conference final, and then appearing in just one Stanley Cup Final game, he always talked of a team game as the greater good.
Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner and ultimate team guy Vincent Desharnais celebrate after a 4-1 win in Seattle on Nov. 11. Photo by Jason Redmond /AP
That obviously attracted the Canucks. So did the fact he logged 19:49 in Game 7 of a first-round finale against the Canucks and would amass 15 blocked shots and eight hits in the series. An hour after Vancouver called with an afternoon offer Monday, Desharnais leapt at the chance to end a long day of uncertainty.
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“Pretty stressful. I’m not going to lie,” said Desharnais. “It (free agency) was something new to me and I didn’t know where I was going to end up. I’m very happy to join Vancouver. It’s going to be nice to be on their side and not getting hit every time I retrieve a puck.
“It’s the right fit. The identity of the team, how the coaching staff is very structured, the fan base and a Canadian market. And I want to win. I was so close last season and wanted to make sure I was going somewhere where I would get a chance again.
“The Canucks are going to be good for another four or five years at least. It’s going to be awesome to work with (assistant coach) Adam Foote. I think he’s going to help me out quite a bit.”
The Canucks had to replace Nikita Zadorov and Ian Cole, who left in free agency, and landing Desharnais along with the 6-foot-4 defender Derek Forbort, 32, on a one-year placeholder deal ($1.5 million), has made the Canucks bigger. But are they better? We’ll see.
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The left-shot Forbert and right-shot Desharnais set the third pairing, and with Noah Juulsen and Mark Friedman as depth defenders, the Canucks have eight who can play at this level and as insurance against indifferent play and injuries.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin also believes Deharnais is more than just that responsible team guy who managed a career-high 11 points (1-10) in 78 games this season and appeared in 16 playoff games
Desharnais learned in Game 7 of the first-round series how the Canucks never quit. After falling behind 3-0, they nearly forced overtime in the dying seconds of regulation. It was a selling point.
“We fell asleep for about five minutes and the next thing you know, it’s 3-2 and we’re fighting for our lives,” he recalled. “A relentless team. The way the coaches manage, it reflects on the players and it kind of matches my style of play — hard worker, north south and hard to play against.
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“When I got the offer, they (head coach Rick Tocchet, Foote) took the time to call and introduce themselves. Right there, I just appreciated that and how professional they are.
“We’re going to be a very good D-core. Very hard to play against and our zone is going to be a war zone. I don’t think forwards are going to enjoy coming in front of our net.”
The road to the NHL started in a Quebec prep school at age 15 and a leap of faith to join the BCHL Chilliwack Chiefs for the 2014-15 season. It’s where Desharnais paired with Langley native Dennis Cholowski, whom the Detroit Red Wings selected 20th overall in 2016. Desharnais then played four NCAA seasons at Providence College.
“I was getting offers from the USHL and BCHL teams and thought it was a great league to get better and manage travelling, school and hockey,” he recalled of choosing Chilliwack over Penticton and Nanaimo. “It was a good fit and that’s where I learned I could play at a higher level.
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“I’m still in touch with my billet family. I’ll be making a trip or two to Chilliwack.”
bkuzma@postmedia.com
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Courtesy : https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/how-vincent-desharnais-measures-up-canucks-defence