The San Jose Sharks acquired 6’7 defenseman Vincent Desharnais from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2028 5th-round pick.
Desharnais had already been traded once this season from the Vancouver Canucks to the Penguins on Jan. 31 as part of the deal that sent Marcus Pettersson the other way.
Desharnais spent the 2023-24 season with the Edmonton Oilers and was part of their run to the Stanley Cup Final. In 44 games split between Pittsburgh and Vancouver this season, Desharnais has three assists and is -9.
Footspeed has been Desharnais’s letdown, but he’s shown an ability to be a third-pairing physical player in the NHL.
The former Edmonton Oiler signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Canucks last offseason, but the fit didn’t match either party. During the 23-24 season, Desharnais averaged 15:44 a game and finished as a +3.
The Sharks are acquiring a net-front presence they haven’t had in recent history. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky has emphasized protecting the house, the high-danger areas in front of goal, to ensure the goalies can see the puck.
His size can allow him to create turnovers at the defensive blue line for transition offense.
The Sharks are getting bigger as they acquired 6’5 forward Patrick Giles from the Florida Panthers earlier in the day.
Pending UFA Jan Rutta has been part of trade rumors, with the NHL trade deadline coming on March 7th. Mario Ferraro is also involved in trade rumors. Adding Desharnais could be a precursor to another move for GM Mike Grier.
