Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign RD Vincent Desharnais 2-Year, $2M AAV Contract

[VanJack]

Wonder if Edmonton actually tried to re-sign this guy.

The writing was on the wall, after Philip Broberg's breakout performance in the last couple of playoff rounds. Broberg was a former first round pick of the Oilers; and they always get opportunity after opportunity to crack the lineup.

But you can't discount the playoff experience of a guy like Desharnais. I've sure the Canucks watched him closely during their seven-game marathon with the Oilers, and probably came away figuring that if he hit the market on July 1st, he might be able to help them.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

The writing was on the wall, after Philip Broberg's breakout performance in the last couple of playoff rounds. Broberg was a former first round pick of the Oilers; and they always get opportunity after opportunity to crack the lineup.

But you can't discount the playoff experience of a guy like Desharnais. I've sure the Canucks watched him closely during their seven-game marathon with the Oilers, and probably came away figuring that if he hit the market on July 1st, he might be able to help them.

I don't know that his playoff performance was terribly great - but this was really his first full season in the NHL. Have to figure the coaching staff feels there's more upside to reach with him.

 

[TruGr1t]

I don't know that his playoff performance was terribly great - but this was really his first full season in the NHL. Have to figure the coaching staff feels there's more upside to reach with him.

I thought he was quite good against us, regularly played 17+ minutes with a high of 19:49 in Game 7. He trailed off after that (though his playoff high was 23:08 minutes in Game 1 versus the Stars, that's including the OTs, but Kulak didn't log that high). There was some word he was impacted by an injury later in the playoffs and ended up scratched.

For Games 6-7 against the Canucks and Game 1 against the Stars, he was playing pretty much 19-20 minutes per game.

 

[tradervik]

I'm not disputing that "journeyman" has a different meaning in other professions. In hockey, it has come to mean a player who has played for multiple teams.

In sports, a journeyman is someone who is experienced and competent but undistinguished. It has nothing to do with the number of teams played for.

 

[Lindgren]

In sports, a journeyman is someone who is experienced and competent but undistinguished. It has nothing to do with the number of teams played for.

I think that as it's used, it usually does have some kind of connection with the player having worked for multiple teams—something about that "competence" being established by multiple organizations judging the player to be a player of that sort (though it might also have something to do with people in the sports world getting that "journey" bit wrong).

that's why he worked so well with Luke Schenn, who could easily absorb that punishment and get Hughes the puck. Might work with Vinny too, but if not, the signing is probably worth doing considering the PK utility and overall fit in our system.....if there's more in him, I trust our coaching staff to get it out.

Man, if Desharnais fits with Hughes, I'll start using the word "genius" when talking about this management team.

 

[lousy]

If he can play as Schenn did with Hughes I would love to give that pairing a try. He seems to play a lot like Schenn does, a simple rugged defensive game. It worked before and many were sad to see that go.

Frees up Hronek as well.

 

[Shareefruck]

If he can play as Schenn did with Hughes I would love to give that pairing a try. He seems to play a lot like Schenn does, a simple rugged defensive game. It worked before and many were sad to see that go.

Frees up Hronek as well.

Yeah, every Oilers fan has warned us not to move him up above a 3rd pairing, but stylistically, if he can play with Hughes the way Schenn (or even an upgraded Juulsen) did, the idea of a Forbort - Hronek pairing is a lot more promising/less scary than having a Forbort - Desharnais pairing.

 

[TruGr1t]

If he can play as Schenn did with Hughes I would love to give that pairing a try. He seems to play a lot like Schenn does, a simple rugged defensive game. It worked before and many were sad to see that go.

Frees up Hronek as well.

Either that or he works with Soucy and you can move Myers down with Forbort and continue to run Hughes-Hronek. Soucy and Myers are not terrible puck movers, so that gives you one guy who can move the puck up the ice on the 2nd and 3rd pairing.

 

[Slapshot_11]

If he can play as Schenn did with Hughes I would love to give that pairing a try. He seems to play a lot like Schenn does, a simple rugged defensive game. It worked before and many were sad to see that go.

Frees up Hronek as well.

You neuter hughes offensive game doing that

 

[David71]

i think the coaching staff could help vinnie unlock some potential in his game, sure he doesnt move the puck as well. but his big frame would help in the pk area and maybe if the game gets rough maybe slide him alongside quinn hughes for protection ala luke schenn.

 

[F A N]

In sports, a journeyman is someone who is experienced and competent but undistinguished. It has nothing to do with the number of teams played for.

Thanks Wiki.

I think that as it's used, it usually does have some kind of connection with the player having worked for multiple teams—something about that "competence" being established by multiple organizations judging the player to be a player of that sort (though it might also have something to do with people in the sports world getting that "journey" bit wrong).

It's the commonly accepted usage and doesn't have to be a derogatory term. "Journeyman" is used to describe players who have played on multiple teams. There's obviously different levels of competence. Mike Sillinger's name comes up in journeyman discussions because he has played on the most number of teams out of any NHL players. The guy played over 1000 games in the NHL. I haven't heard anyone call Jim Slater a journeyman. In the NBA, Chris Paul is frequently described as a journeyman (and also an NBA star). Derrick Brassard (congrats to his retirement) clearly became a journeyman and is in the Sillinger camp where he is both wanted and deemed dispensable.

 

[Shareefruck]

You neuter hughes offensive game doing that

I never got the feeling that Schenn neutered Hughes' offensive game, personally. Might not work, but I think It's worth experimenting with.

Either that or he works with Soucy and you can move Myers down with Forbort and continue to run Hughes-Hronek. Soucy and Myers are not terrible puck movers, so that gives you one guy who can move the puck up the ice on the 2nd and 3rd pairing.

Yes, but damn, a Forbort - Myers pairing sounds potentially scary as hell in a bad way, to me. Myers had a great year, but also got to play with fairly good players.

 

[TruGr1t]

I never got the feeling that Schenn neutered Hughes' offensive game, personally. Might not work, but I think It's worth experimenting with.

Yes, but damn, a Forbort - Myers pairing sounds potentially scary as hell in a bad way, to me. Myers had a great year, but also got to play with fairly good players.

In my mind, assuming Forbort is healthy he’d probably make a fine third pair with Myers. The issue is whether Desharnais can handle minutes with Soucy.

 

[alternate]

I could see Vinny getting DZ starts with Hughes, especially versus big teams that are good on the cycle.

Then keep Hughes and Hronek together in offensive situations.

I'm expecting deployment to be situational more so than fixed pairings, at least until there's an addition to the roster.

 

[VanJack]

I'm beginning to believe that Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar are to d-men; what Ian Clark is to goalie development with the Vancouver Canucks. They're so experienced and knowledgeable about playing defense in the NHL, that even d-men in the mid-to late 20's like Desharnais and Forbort can learn a lot.

I really believe the Canucks have two bench coaches who can actually get the most out of every blueliner. Just look what they did for Myers and even Juulsen last season. Not an accident that they had one of their best years of their careers.

I still think the Canucks could use another puck-carrying offensive d-man. I see Adam Boqvist and Tyson Barrie are still out there on the UFA list. Would either guy may any sense?

 

[biturbo19]

I agree with the big picture of what you're saying but I think the Forbort signing is the bigger problem than the Desharnais signing.

I think Desharnais works very well as the 3RD. The issue is that we've basically duplicated Soucy with an older, worse, injury prone version as the 3LD when we should have gone for more of a two-way defender there.

And yeah, listening to Oiler fans it looks like his scratches in the back half of the playoffs were more injury-related than anything. He was very solid in the series against us.

This is pretty much exactly where i'm at on this signing. It's the double-whammy of Desharnais AND Forbort at the same time. I don't even mind the way the timeline of this works. He's short-term and cheap enough that they're not locking in all 3 RHD spots to significant money for if/when Willander is ready to press for a spot (which could be sooner, rather than later - assuming he jumps straight from college as most top NCAA guys tend to).

It's maybe a little more than i'd want to pay, but it's quibbling over a few hundred thousand and we're getting a big, physical RHD with some intriguing upside. These types often have a track record of establishing that "defencemen take longer" mantra in general, even when they don't have the sort of trajectory Desharnais has been on. Heck, even Zadorov who he's ostensibly "replacing" in effect, didn't really stabilize until he was a lot more seasons into the league than Desharnais. Chiarot who i'd kind of compare Desharnais to as an "upside" was a real "late bloomer" from my recollection.


The think i really balk at, is more this deal in conjunction with the Forbort deal. Different handedness, but it's really just doubling, tripling, heck...quintupling up on basically the same player. I get that they have a "type" and these guys tend to perform above expectations in their system, but at some point...you really do still need some more mobility and puck-moving ability to at least give you "options".


But the more i look at it...it's really the Forbort deal that's a problem. And even then...if you can find an actual #4/5LHD with some puck-moving ability, you can always just dump Forbort in the pressbox most nights. I'd rather just have this sorted before the season starts, and that Forbort money could end up being part of the "solution" to finding a better puck-moving partner for Desharnais, since he's the obvious "pet project" here. Which is fair enough.


It's just asking an awful lot of the Forwards to dig pucks out of our own zone when your bottom-4D is: Soucy-Myers, Forbort-Desharnais. And that's assuming Hughes-Hronek stay healthy...with absolutely zero puck-moving insurance in the fold to move up.

I also can't help but think it's putting a lot of demands on a guy like Desharnais to move the puck better, which might just be outside his wheelhouse...but if his partner isn't doing it, someone's gonna have to. Can end up in a scenario where two guys really drag each other down because they have to much of the same skillset and not enough of something else between them.


But i guess we'll see. And there is still some small measure of capspace available. Maybe they do pull something else off and Forbort is just an insurance #7D type signing (which we'll surely use, because Soucy).