(Signing) Canucks sign Vincent Desharnais

[Crabcakes]

9 hours ago, SilentSam said:

im not sure how that works with time constraints Doc,  but I beleive this is an interesting situation .

 

I just started a new thread in this Category to see how it unfolds .

 

The Oilers are in a bit of a mess right now, no GM ,.  
actually saw Bennings name come up on other feeds .   

 

And ironically, they're getting a lot of endorsements for adding Arvidsson and Skinner.

 

All the same, they're over the cap and still have Holloway and Broberg left to sign (both RFA's)

 

 

[Coryberg]

3 hours ago, SilentSam said:

You get to the last page of how all that developed there yet ?

don’t rush ..

don’t worry ,  capfriendly had the same “air gap” this morning.

He was qualified... for you to believe otherwise was idiotic to say the least.

[Jester13]

2 hours ago, Crabcakes said:

 

And ironically, they're getting a lot of endorsements for adding Arvidsson and Skinner.

 

All the same, they're over the cap and still have Holloway and Broberg left to sign (both RFA's)

 

 

They'll add a major sweetener for a team to take Kane. They won't care about giving a 1st+ if that's what it takes - they're in win-now mode.

[iceman1964]

On 7/1/2024 at 1:18 PM, HKSR said:

Size.  Bottom pair.  We have a towering D group again!

 

Hughes-Hronek

Soucy-Myers

Forbort-Desharnais

 

With the exception of Hughes, no one is under 6', I like that! 

[SilentSam]

3 hours ago, Coryberg said:

He was qualified... for you to believe otherwise was idiotic to say the least.

Blah blah blah 

[Elias Pettersson]

38 minutes ago, iceman1964 said:

With the exception of Hughes, no one is under 6', I like that! 

 

With the exception of Hughes and Hronek, no one is under 6'4"!!!

[N4ZZY]

1 hour ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

With the exception of Hughes and Hronek, no one is under 6'4"!!!

Hronek is not short at 6 feet either. 

 

[SilentSam]

An Edmonton writer explains Vinny’s journey to the NHL :

 

 

Edmonton Oilers fans aren’t going to be complaining about their haul in free agency, bringing in the likes of Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, and others to help bolster the team that made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

But for as much joy they feel over those moves, there is one move from free agency that has them heartbroken: Vincent Desharnais signing with the Vancouver Canucks.

Take it from somebody who’s spent the last decade watching and covering the Oilers: Canucks fans, you got a good one.

Desharnais was drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 draft and he certainly didn’t have the profile of somebody who would play NHL games. Standing at 6’5, 207 lbs, he had just wrapped up his second season at the NCAA’s Providence College, scoring two goals and three points in 32 games.
 

 

While he had the size then he does now, his scouting report didn’t evoke much confidence. At the time of the draft, Steve Kournianos described him as a player who skates awkwardly, wasn’t physical with his strength being able to stand people up and use his stick to jar pucks loose in board battles.

It took years for Desharnais to work up the ranks of the hockey world. He spent two more years at Providence before turning pro in the 2019-20 season. His first year saw him play in the ECHL, and his second in the AHL. By his third season in 2021-22, he was starting to turn heads as his game evolved. He tied a career-high in goals at any level with five, while setting career marks in assists with 22 and points with 27, all in 66 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors.

 

His rise through the ranks of the Oilers organization coincided with that of goaltender Stuart Skinner, with the two becoming good friends and even having their own celebrations together after wins.

 

In March 2022, he earned an entry-level contract with the Oilers. The only problem was that in camp the following season, he broke a bone in his hand. Four to six weeks turned to double that when surgery was needed, and he had a slow start to his season.

 

But after getting up to speed playing 13 AHL games, Desharnais earned a recall to the NHL in January 2023 and never looked back. When he was drafted by the Oilers in 2016, he told the organization “I’ll show you guys that I was worth drafting,” and he had done exactly that.

 

It didn’t take long for him to assert himself as a strong defensive defenceman, using his size to break up the cycle and clear out the front of the net. And above all else, he began to find himself as a penalty kill specialist for the Oilers, using those aforementioned tools to help the team become one of the strongest over the last two seasons. He’s not one to make a dazzling play carrying the puck out of the defensive zone, instead having a great first pass to help his team get out of trouble.

And above it all, he became one of the most popular players in Edmonton.

Hockey loves a good underdog story, and Desharnais has been exactly that. A kid from Quebec who played Jr. A hockey for the Chilliwack Chiefs went to the NCAA, having to fight and claw for everything he’s earned. Someone who, by all accounts, has been nothing but a great teammate and has embraced every city he’s played in. He’ll do the same for you in Vancouver.
 

 

 

 

[AmyTheGma]

21 hours ago, Jester13 said:

They'll add a major sweetener for a team to take Kane. They won't care about giving a 1st+ if that's what it takes - they're in win-now mode.

I feel like the Oilers are just asking to be bullied this season.  Maybe it’s the Canucks strategy to try and beat them up as much as possible this season before the playoffs even start.  They lost McLeod, Foegelle, Desharnais, and possibly Kane to either injury or there has been talk of even paying to get rid of him.

 

I see that as a pretty soft team with little toughness outside of Nurse, who really has not been as effective at that aspect of the game amongst the rest.  Who is going to do anything when people start taking liberties with McDavid and company?

 

With all the praise they have been receiving for their offseason moves, it feels to me like they went and got a whole lot more offensive players when that was never really an issue for them.  I think they will score a lot in the regular season, but they need some grit before the playoffs start, which I guess can be done at the trade deadline, but there is only so much you can add.

 

Hopefully the Canucks can beat them up and steal their lunch money before the playoffs even start and have them scared and pooping in their jock straps like the Coilers they are!

 

 

 

[Pears]

3 minutes ago, AmyTheGma said:

I feel like the Oilers are just asking to be bullied this season.  Maybe it’s the Canucks strategy to try and beat them up as much as possible this season before the playoffs even start.  They lost McLeod, Foegelle, Desharnais, and possibly Kane to either injury or there has been talk of even paying to get rid of him.

 

I see that as a pretty soft team with little toughness outside of Nurse, who really has not been as effective at that aspect of the game amongst the rest.  Who is going to do anything when people start taking liberties with McDavid and company?

 

With all the praise they have been receiving for their offseason moves, it feels to me like they went and got a whole lot more offensive players when that was never really an issue for them.  I think they will score a lot in the regular season, but they need some grit before the playoffs start, which I guess can be done at the trade deadline, but there is only so much you can add.

 

Hopefully the Canucks can beat them up and steal their lunch money before the playoffs even start and have them scared and pooping in their jock straps like the Coilers they are!

 

 

 

This is exactly what I was thinking too. How many small one dimensional forwards who are defensive liabilities can they bring in over what they actually need before they realize that isn't working?

 

The guys we brought in, DeBrusk, Heinen, Sherwood, Forbort, Desharnais etc., all bring some much needed speed and scoring on the wings as well as some added size that will help offset losing Zadorov.

 

I also think DeBrusk will score 30+ goals multiple times here, since he'll get more playing time than he had in Boston and he'll get to play with much better centers here than he did there. 

[AmyTheGma]

Just now, Pears said:

This is exactly what I was thinking too. How many small one dimensional forwards who are defensive liabilities can they bring in over what they actually need before they realize that isn't working?

 

The guys we brought in, DeBrusk, Heinen, Sherwood, Forbort, Desharnais etc., all bring some much needed speed and scoring on the wings as well as some added size that will help offset losing Zadorov.

 

I also think DeBrusk will score 30+ goals multiple times here, since he'll get more playing time than he had in Boston and he'll get to play with much better centers here than he did there. 

Yes, I think the players we brought in compliment our existing team really well and they are going to give the Oilers fits on the forecheck.  In most of the games that the Oilers lost in the playoffs it seemed like it was because they were tired and could not maintain their energy levels.  It takes a lot of energy for their top guys to play as much as they do and when you force them to play defensively and hem then with the forecheck they can not handle it very well.  
 

I have a good feeling about this year if we can stay somewhat healthy.  One more defensemen to push Myers to the 6 and we are golden.

[The Duke]

I’m not sure how tough the Coil’s forward group is outside of Janmark and Kane… but their defence group is still solid. Maybe not as enormous as our bottom 4 but still overall quite large. 

Ekholm is 6’5 225
Broberg is 6’4 215

Nurse is 6’4 215

Josh brown is 6’5 220

Ceci is 6’3 210

Bouchard is 6’3 195

Kulak is 6’2 192

 

I do think they got a little softer - especially if they move Kane.  But they’re robust on the back end.

(For a bunch of ECHL plugs - as per Heffy)

Edited July 7 by The Duke

[DeNiro]

4 minutes ago, The Duke said:

I’m not sure how tough the Coil’s forward group is outside of Janmark and Kane… but their defence group is still solid. Maybe not as enormous as our bottom 4 but still overall quite large. 

Ekholm is 6’5 225
Broberg is 6’4 215

Nurse is 6’4 215

Josh brown is 6’5 220

Ceci is 6’3 210

Bouchard is 6’3 195

Kulak is 6’2 192

 

I do think they got a little softer - especially if they move Kane.  But they’re robust on the back end.

Ekholm is the only legit toughness they have though.

 

The rest are cream puffs.

[st33]

I've never understood the hype that Edmonton's free agent signings are getting... They were always weak on defense and goalie and they still are, so I don't see them improving much if at all personally.

[DeNiro]

6 minutes ago, st33 said:

I've never understood the hype that Edmonton's free agent signings are getting... They were always weak on defense and goalie and they still are, so I don't see them improving much if at all personally.

They also lost Foegle and McLeod who I thought were pretty good for them.

 

So their net gain isn’t as much as some people are pretending. Those two also played strong two way games. 

[The Duke]

18 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Ekholm is the only legit toughness they have though.

 

The rest are cream puffs.

I don’t disagree - Sherwood is going to take their lunch money next year

[N4ZZY]

8 hours ago, SilentSam said:

An Edmonton writer explains Vinny’s journey to the NHL :

 

 

Edmonton Oilers fans aren’t going to be complaining about their haul in free agency, bringing in the likes of Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, and others to help bolster the team that made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

But for as much joy they feel over those moves, there is one move from free agency that has them heartbroken: Vincent Desharnais signing with the Vancouver Canucks.

Take it from somebody who’s spent the last decade watching and covering the Oilers: Canucks fans, you got a good one.

Desharnais was drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 draft and he certainly didn’t have the profile of somebody who would play NHL games. Standing at 6’5, 207 lbs, he had just wrapped up his second season at the NCAA’s Providence College, scoring two goals and three points in 32 games.
 

 

While he had the size then he does now, his scouting report didn’t evoke much confidence. At the time of the draft, Steve Kournianos described him as a player who skates awkwardly, wasn’t physical with his strength being able to stand people up and use his stick to jar pucks loose in board battles.

It took years for Desharnais to work up the ranks of the hockey world. He spent two more years at Providence before turning pro in the 2019-20 season. His first year saw him play in the ECHL, and his second in the AHL. By his third season in 2021-22, he was starting to turn heads as his game evolved. He tied a career-high in goals at any level with five, while setting career marks in assists with 22 and points with 27, all in 66 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors.

 

His rise through the ranks of the Oilers organization coincided with that of goaltender Stuart Skinner, with the two becoming good friends and even having their own celebrations together after wins.

 

In March 2022, he earned an entry-level contract with the Oilers. The only problem was that in camp the following season, he broke a bone in his hand. Four to six weeks turned to double that when surgery was needed, and he had a slow start to his season.

 

But after getting up to speed playing 13 AHL games, Desharnais earned a recall to the NHL in January 2023 and never looked back. When he was drafted by the Oilers in 2016, he told the organization “I’ll show you guys that I was worth drafting,” and he had done exactly that.

 

It didn’t take long for him to assert himself as a strong defensive defenceman, using his size to break up the cycle and clear out the front of the net. And above all else, he began to find himself as a penalty kill specialist for the Oilers, using those aforementioned tools to help the team become one of the strongest over the last two seasons. He’s not one to make a dazzling play carrying the puck out of the defensive zone, instead having a great first pass to help his team get out of trouble.

And above it all, he became one of the most popular players in Edmonton.

Hockey loves a good underdog story, and Desharnais has been exactly that. A kid from Quebec who played Jr. A hockey for the Chilliwack Chiefs went to the NCAA, having to fight and claw for everything he’s earned. Someone who, by all accounts, has been nothing but a great teammate and has embraced every city he’s played in. He’ll do the same for you in Vancouver.
 

 

 

 

LOVE IT. 

 

I am looking forward to Desharnais in a Canucks uniform, killing penalties, absorbing pucks, and just being a giant defensive defenseman that we haven't had since Willie Mitchell and his long massive stick (not that stick). 

 

I'm excited for the season to start, but I can't help but sense that Allvin and his staff aren't done yet. What are still needing? One more defenseman and a forward, or are the forwards set, and we just need to tinker and tweak on the backend? 

 

 

 

[N4ZZY]

1 hour ago, Pears said:

This is exactly what I was thinking too. How many small one dimensional forwards who are defensive liabilities can they bring in over what they actually need before they realize that isn't working?

 

The guys we brought in, DeBrusk, Heinen, Sherwood, Forbort, Desharnais etc., all bring some much needed speed and scoring on the wings as well as some added size that will help offset losing Zadorov.

 

I also think DeBrusk will score 30+ goals multiple times here, since he'll get more playing time than he had in Boston and he'll get to play with much better centers here than he did there. 

where was Debrusk slotted in, in the line up at Boston? I always thought he was a top six player in Beantown? 

 

[N4ZZY]

28 minutes ago, The Duke said:

I don’t disagree - Sherwood is going to take their lunch money next year

How is Edmonton's PK as they enter into next season? Will Skinner help Edmonton's defensive side of the game, or is Edmonton going back to their Gretzky-Messier era of outscoring opponents, and who the fuck cares about defence? 

[N4ZZY]

55 minutes ago, The Duke said:

I’m not sure how tough the Coil’s forward group is outside of Janmark and Kane… but their defence group is still solid. Maybe not as enormous as our bottom 4 but still overall quite large. 

Ekholm is 6’5 225
Broberg is 6’4 215

Nurse is 6’4 215

Josh brown is 6’5 220

Ceci is 6’3 210

Bouchard is 6’3 195

Kulak is 6’2 192

 

I do think they got a little softer - especially if they move Kane.  But they’re robust on the back end.

(For a bunch of ECHL plugs - as per Heffy)

They are not bad size-wise, and their shortest defenseman is Kulak at 6'2. But they don't have a Hughes on their backend, who is an elite player. Defense by committee for Edmonton, is what I'm thinking. I think we also need to add one more defenseman to the group that's currently being assembled so that there is more movement up the ice from defence to the forwards unless there's another system that Tocchet and his staff are thinking about implementing this upcoming season. 

 

[N4ZZY]

1 hour ago, Pears said:

I also think DeBrusk will score 30+ goals multiple times here

I also think Debrusk is going to score 30+ multiple times in his 7 years here. Maybe there will be 2-3 seasons where he has 30 goals, and maybe the rest, he'll be close to 30. But I can see him becoming a 30-goal scorer from here on out, especially if Petey's his centre or JT. 

[Zimmyparttwo]

1 minute ago, N4ZZY said:

How is Edmonton's PK as they enter into next season? Will Skinner help Edmonton's defensive side of the game, or is Edmonton going back to their Gretzky-Messier era of outscoring opponents, and who the fuck cares about defence? 

They’ll be running up scores in the regular season just because they can. I don’t doubt an onslaught of offence, but, echoing many of the comments here, offence is one thing they already had plenty of. 
I ask myself what the reaction would be on these boards had we lost 2 big bodied, swift skating grinders on the bottom six and a rather large and competent dman, all on the relative cheap.
I was convinced that team up there in northern Alberta had learned something about winning in the playoffs but anyone who doesn’t recognize that they are considerably softer now is delusional. 

[Crabcakes]

On 7/5/2024 at 8:24 PM, Jester13 said:

They'll add a major sweetener for a team to take Kane. They won't care about giving a 1st+ if that's what it takes - they're in win-now mode.

 

Kane has a no movement clause for the upcoming season and a no trade clause for the season following (16 team list).  Not that that means he cannot be moved.  However, the entire league knows that he's trouble and now with possible surgery for his hip injury who would take him?

[Jester13]

21 minutes ago, Crabcakes said:

 

Kane has a no movement clause for the upcoming season and a no trade clause for the season following (16 team list).  Not that that means he cannot be moved.  However, the entire league knows that he's trouble and now with possible surgery for his hip injury who would take him?

LTIR then? One way or another, Edmonton will make their cap work. 

[Pears]

1 hour ago, N4ZZY said:

where was Debrusk slotted in, in the line up at Boston? I always thought he was a top six player in Beantown? 

 

He was but his centers were mostly Krejci and Charlie Coyle, so a considerable upgrade going from them to Pettersson or Miller. 

 

1 hour ago, Zimmyparttwo said:

They’ll be running up scores in the regular season just because they can. I don’t doubt an onslaught of offence, but, echoing many of the comments here, offence is one thing they already had plenty of. 
I ask myself what the reaction would be on these boards had we lost 2 big bodied, swift skating grinders on the bottom six and a rather large and competent dman, all on the relative cheap.
I was convinced that team up there in northern Alberta had learned something about winning in the playoffs but anyone who doesn’t recognize that they are considerably softer now is delusional. 

This exactly. Plus giving up one of the better third line centers in the game for, guess what, another undersized skilled forward who's at least a couple years away from making a contribution? They have three (3) regular forwards who are above 200 pounds. They're going to get pulverized by bigger teams once they realize how they can wear them down.