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

[valkynax]

I hesitate to give the coaching staff too much credit for the Hughes improvement, though, personally. He seemed to make similarly huge strides in previous years before this coaching regime as well. One year he went from questionable defensively to very solid defensively.

It's almost always a combination of factors including but not limited to player talent, individual effort, and coaching. I think there are reasons for us to have some optimism, given how some of the acquired defensemen have worked out.

At the very least I'm hoping that VD can replace Zadorov's physicality.

 

[Shareefruck]

It's almost always a combination of factors including but not limited to player talent, individual effort, and coaching. I think there are reasons for us to have some optimism, given how some of the acquired defensemen have worked out.

At the very least I'm hoping that VD can replace Zadorov's physicality.

Oh for sure, I'm not disagreeing with the overall point at all, I just don't think Hughes in particular is a convincing example of it because he seems like the rare type who would do it himself regardless.

I could see him making similar strides under Boudreau (hell, he already did once-- going from an offense-only defenseman to a Norris finalist all-rounder under Boudreau is every bit as significant of an improvement as going from a PPG Norris finalist to a 90+ point Norris winner like he did under Tocchet, IMO) or possibly even someone completely incompetent like Desjardins, to be honest.

Whereas guys like Myers and Juulsen I fully attribute to the work that the coaching staff have done.

 

[VanJack]

Desharnais is probably one of the Canucks most intriguing UFA signings to me. He's a classic 'late bloomer' who languished in the Oilers organization for a number of seasons. But clearly he's improved his game in every season, and only made the NHL as a full-time regular last campaign.

And he'll now have the opportunity to work every day with Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar. I think there's serious grounds for optimism that there's more to develop in his game. Big d-men often need more development time anyway.

So in terms of the Canucks' blueline depth, it'll be intriguing to see if he can build on his game and become a lot more than the depth defender his is now.

 

[cc]

It's almost always a combination of factors including but not limited to player talent, individual effort, and coaching. I think there are reasons for us to have some optimism, given how some of the acquired defensemen have worked out.

At the very least I'm hoping that VD can replace Zadorov's physicality.

I'm not banking on him replacing zad's toughness who was an intimidating specimen.

From what I've seen, he looks more like Myers-level toughness. Physically, both look to be cut from the same cloth. Tall and thin with long skinny limbs. Decent for defending with a long reach but not really physically strong

 

[Three On Zero]

If this guy spends any time on the top pairing…… pain

 

[LordBacon]

Kinda surprised this guy got so much attention this off season.
Shouldnt he be a bottom pairing guy?

 

[Josepho]

Kinda surprised this guy got so much attention this off season.
Shouldnt he be a bottom pairing guy?

That's the most likely outcome but when the coach of the year says he really likes this player as a project it becomes more intriguing.

 

[Regress2TheMeme]

If this guy spends any time on the top pairing…… pain

It would be fine when they don't need to ride Hughes hard. If they spread out their defensive depth across all three pairings it's another look they can throw at opponents. Might be good to try when the team has a lead and wants to lock things down and give Hughes and Hronek a bit of a rest.

 

[TruGr1t]

The Tape: Dissecting the game of the Canucks’ newest PK specialist, Vincent Desharnais

<em class="text-lg italic">The Tape series is back, but not how it is...

canucksarmy.com

 

[Three On Zero]

It would be fine when they don't need to ride Hughes hard. If they spread out their defensive depth across all three pairings it's another look they can throw at opponents. Might be good to try when the team has a lead and wants to lock things down and give Hughes and Hronek a bit of a rest.

Maybe in something like a 8-1 shellacking, VD is just not that good of a defenceman. He was bench material on an inferior Edmonton blue line.

 

[F A N]

Maybe in something like a 8-1 shellacking, VD is just not that good of a defenceman. He was bench material on an inferior Edmonton blue line.

Did you watch him play besides that one game? He was benched in the playoffs but a regular in the regular season. He is a guy that has kept improving. He does need to keep improving his playoff play. Oilers D isn’t the best and we’re talking about him being exposed against the eventual Stanley Cup champion in a losing effort. It happens. If he learns and improves he’s going to be good. If he doesn’t then well he’s being paid to be a good 3rd pairing defenseman not a top 4 guy responsible for shutting down the other team’s top line.

 

[Three On Zero]

Did you watch him play besides that one game? He was benched in the playoffs but a regular in the regular season. He is a guy that has kept improving. He does need to keep improving his playoff play. Oilers D isn’t the best and we’re talking about him being exposed against the eventual Stanley Cup champion in a losing effort. It happens. If he learns and improves he’s going to be good. If he doesn’t then well he’s being paid to be a good 3rd pairing defenseman not a top 4 guy responsible for shutting down the other team’s top line.

I have the luxury of watching him quite frequently

 

[TruGr1t]

Maybe in something like a 8-1 shellacking, VD is just not that good of a defenceman. He was bench material on an inferior Edmonton blue line.

Wut. He played 78 games in the regular season at nearly ~16 mins per game, including 2 mins per game of PK time. That isn't really bench material. He also played basically top-four minutes (18+ mins per night) in the final four games of the series against us in the playoffs.

 

[Three On Zero]

Wut. He played 78 games in the regular season at nearly ~16 mins per game, including 2 mins per game of PK time. That isn't really bench material. He also played basically top-four minutes (18+ mins per night) in the final four games of the series against us in the playoffs.

He was getting minutes out of necessity, not because he was good. He may be good in isolated minutes, but I would temper expectations on what he will provide.

 

[David71]

foote/gonchar will unlock vinne deharnais potential. he will be a underrated signing by game 30 in the regular season.

 

[EpochLink]

14 pages on Desharnais:

 

[Hodgy]

I hope Desharnais continues to develop and plays well for us, but if I am being honest, and almost exclusively based on my viewing of him vs. the Canucks, he looked pretty bad defensively,

 

[credulous]

I hope Desharnais continues to develop and plays well for us, but if I am being honest, and almost exclusively based on my viewing of him vs. the Canucks, he looked pretty bad defensively,

i didn't watch much of edmonton in the regular season so maybe he's good but he was very bad in the playoffs imo. he plays a lot like juulsen he's just a lot bigger

 

[F A N]

14 pages on Desharnais:

We need to get our Tryamkin-like fix.

 

[strattonius]

Desharnais was scratched due to injuries in the playoffs, not from poor play. Some of you guys have a shit memory. As soon as Knoblauch broke the Nurse-Ceci combo and paired Nurse with Desharnais it stabilized their defense and was very difficult for us to generate quality chances.

He's not a world beater but comparing him to Juulsen is ignorant and poor analysis.

 

[ChilliBilly]

We need to get our Tryamkin-like fix.

hmm ... doesn't skate as well, and is smaller. don't see it myself. Myers was a lot closer.

Edit - went to check his stats, and got David Desharnais instead. 5'7" instead.

 

[VanJack]

I guess every once and awhile, a seventh round draft pick like Desharnais does make their way to the NHL. Gives you some hope that some of the guys the Canucks have picked in the sixth and seventh rounds in the last couple of years, might eventually be able to follow him.

I realize it's probably as likely as picking next week's lottery numbers.....but it does happen.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Definitely. If the Canucks can successfully clear some cap room by the TDL next March, I could easily see them making splash like they did this past season when they added Zadorov and Lindholm.

In fact it would qualify as a 'surprise' if Allvin doesn't add some blueline depth at some point in the season. The only issue is whether he can find a guy who can potentially move into the top-four. But bound to be some big-name impending UFA out there, who isn't likely to re-sign with his current team.

With LTIR and sending someone down they should have almost four million in cap plus whatever they accrue for being under the cap.
Not many contenders will have that type of space and that's huge when it comes to getting a deal done.

Someone else mentioned if Vegas is out (and I think they will be) Theodore would be the perfect target.

I'd also not be surprised to see Allvin make another Hronek lite type trade that no one saw coming.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

It's almost always a combination of factors including but not limited to player talent, individual effort, and coaching. I think there are reasons for us to have some optimism, given how some of the acquired defensemen have worked out.

At the very least I'm hoping that VD can replace Zadorov's physicality.

Well technically he's replacing Cole so big upgrade physically and on the pk.
Forbort is the Zadorov replacement and he's just as physical and frankly not the dropoff most seem to think.

 

[Grantham]

Well technically he's replacing Cole so big upgrade physically and on the pk.
Forbort is the Zadorov replacement and he's just as physical and frankly not the dropoff most seem to think.

I'm a little lower on the replacements than yourself.

I see Des as a good gamble, but he will be a decent downgrade from a non-injured Cole. Forbort is physical, but he doesn't intimidate anyone unlike Zad.

These two will be bottom pairing, so not the end of the world, but there is a significant downgrade in transition ability. A player like Shultz would be an amazing add to address that, but it looks like they are done for now.