Vincent Desharnais unveiled as Oilers Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee
The Professional Hockey Writers' Association has announced the Bill Masterton Trophy nominees and the Edmonton Oilers pick is Vincent Desharnais.
By Paul Taylor
As per Sportsnet, the Professional Hockey Writers' Association announced their Bill Masterton Trophy nominees on Friday morning. In respect of the Edmonton Oilers specifically, their nominee is none other than Vincent Desharnais.
As per NHL.com, the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy has been awarded since 1968. It goes annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, with no Oiler having ever won the award to date.
Certainly, Desharnais makes for an intriguing and well-deserved nominee to win the Masterton Trophy. His second season in the NHL has seen him establish himself as an important part of the Oilers roster.
The 27-year-old was recently promoted to playing alongside Darnell Nurse as part of the Oilers' second pairing, a good indication of how much he has progressed. He then unfortunately suffered an injury which caused him to miss a couple of games.
Since then, Desharnais has been moved back down to the third pairing, but the fact remains that he is now integral to the Oilers roster. He provides an imposing defensive presence, who isn't afraid to mix it up.
Perseverance
In terms of Desharnais' nomination, he has shown his perseverance. Despite being a seventh round pick in the 2016 draft, he has worked hard to work his way up through the ranks and prove he belongs in the NHL.
In this respect, the Oilers have an interesting dilemma with the Laval, Quebec native come summer time. With him set to become an unrestricted free agent, he will be looking for a new deal.
Desharnais is undoubtedly worthy of an increase on his current annual average salary of $762,500, with a new multi-year deal. However, as we've recently written, the Oilers have a tough situation with the outlook of their salary cap situation for next season.
4 Oilers who must elevate their game for deeper playoff push. 4 Oilers who must elevate their game for deeper playoff push. dark. Next
However, that can wait till after the season. For now Desharnais will be focused on trying to help the Oilers win their first Stanley Cup since 1990, and maybe in the process also take home the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
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