One of the feel-good stories for the Edmonton Oilers last season was the surprise emergence of Vincent Desharnais. He played his first NHL game on January 11th and 36 regular season games afterward. On top of that, he added another 12 playoff games.
If you were to ask almost any Edmonton Oilers fan which AHL defenseman was going to find his way into the playoff lineup at the start of the season I don’t think many would have had Vincent Desharnais as their man. We all assumed it was either going to be Broberg or Niemeläinen but, Vincent Desharnais came in a stole the show.
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| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | ATOI | HIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 26 | EDM | NHL | 36 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 31 | 13:33 | 45 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com
In his 36 regular season games, Vincent Desharnais had a +/- of 15. For this Edmotnon Oilers team that is a good number. If you think about the fact that he rarely played with the top defenders, Nurse or Ekholm, that gets even better.
For the Edmonton Oilers the problem has always been once you get past the top players they get outscored. Desharnais showed that isn’t the case anymore. He is not getting ice time against any of their top players and he is doing what he should be doing. That is not to get scored on by weaker opponents.
For him to be +15 is a solid preview of what he could perhaps evolve into in the NHL. The issue for Vincent Desharnais is his puck-moving ability. That is reflected in his points. With only 5 assists to his name, there is definitely room to improve in this aspect.
| Season | Age | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | ATOI | HIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 26 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 8 | 13:35 | 18 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com
The playoffs for Vincent Desharnais and the Edmonton Oilers were not as good as the regular season. When the other teams had the chance to match their top players against Desharnais they did. It’s not like Desharnais is a bad player, but when it comes to the top Edmonton Oilers defenceman there is better.
There is a higher speed and intensity in the playoffs. Defencemen have to think a lot faster. Even veteran players make mistakes, so this was bound to happen Desharnais. We can’t really fault him for making mistakes in a playoff game after only 36 games in the NHL.
If He Improves For The Edmonton Oilers It Is A Big Win
Going into his first full season a lot of eyes with be on Vincent Desharnais. If he continues to improve this will be a huge break for the Edmonton Oilers. Anytime you can have a drafted player making a small amount of money that is a win.
It is even more impressive when it comes in the shape of a 6′ 6″ defenceman like Vincent Desharnais. This is why I think Vincent Desharnais is the biggest and most important wildcard for the Edmonton Oilers this coming season.