Friedman: Vancouver trying to trade Vincent Desharnais

[Dazed and Confused]

Stecher and Emberson have done a really nice job for us, but the real MVP is Brett Kulak. He makes Nurse look like the guy he's paid to be.

Feel bad for Vinny. He has his uses (PK numbers aren't bad) but he skates like his skates have been welded to the ice. He worked best in an 11-7 setup where he was kept away from the speedy guys.

Having a very strong partner like Kulak (hey, look, him again) helped him out a lot too.

This. Kulak propped Vinny up a lot at 5v5 last year (or at the very least, let him stay in his lane and exclusively focus on the defensive aspects).

He doesn't really take over games/shifts, but there's a massive value to having a smooth skating defenceman that's borderline automatic on making the correct and safe read every time.
Vinny benefitted from it last year, and now Nurse is playing much more freely, as he doesn't have to worry about covering for his partner (RE: Ceci) being out of position.

 

[Cup or Bust]

The only thing he really did well on the Oilers was penalty kill. He was always a slight liability at even strength due to his skating and puck handling. I am not even sure I would want him back with the Oilers with retention. Not really sure he would add much at this point. There might be a team with cap space that wants some size though.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Lets give credit where its due here. Nurse's resurgence hasn't only been because of Kulak. He looks great regardless of who is on his pair this year.

That, along with Ceci's play in SJ this year, makes you wonder if he wasn't more of anchor than we realized.

Not entirely accurate with the bolded.

Nurse w/Kulak

CF% 60.77
XGF% 62.85
SCF%: 60.068
HDCF%: 60.00

Nurse w/o Kulak:

CF%: 48.81
XGF%: 49.53
SCF%: 49.52
HDCF%: 56.30

Getting out from under the Stone of Ceci has definitely done him a lot of good, but it's Kulak that's truly elevating Nurse's game.

 

[Killer Orcas]

Fans tend to hate these deals but depth defensemen do tend to get more on the free market like this. It's not Jim Benning running the team anymore who'd just give agents an extra year and an extra mil, for the contract Canucks signed here it's likely there were other teams with similar competing offers. So there's probably still teams that would be interested with the contract as is.

Your probably right hopefully we find a taker. He's not a bad guy but we just have too many bottom pairing guys already.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

I could have told you all this would happen the day they signed him LOL

 

[McFlyingV]

Oh you mean Ceci and Desharnais weren't actually the pillars of the Oilers D? I see Edmonton is in the top 8 again this year in best goals against as they were last year under Knoblaugh. Big shock. Nurse is having a very nice bounce back season freed of pylons like Desharnais and Ceci.

Dmen who are terrible at puck retrievals, terrible puck movers, and who lack foot speed/lateral mobility to defend the rush are not good dmen. Thank god these two are gone from the Oilers. Please never bring in a Dman lacking those qualities ever again.

 

[Captain97]

I'd take him on the Habs

Vinny + pick for Barron or Struble?

 

[Qwijibo]

I'd take him on the Habs

Vinny + pick for Barron or Struble?

Hes brutal. Pure cap dump for 2 years. Struble is far better. I'd want nothing to do with him on Montreal

 

[Breakers]

There was right shot defense in free agency

and they went with Myers and Desharnais

woooofff

 

[Fantast100]

Desharnais to Edmonton for 2nd or 3rd round pick.

 

[gritdash60]

I mean dont need to try too hard, just accept the "Future considerations".

 

[VeteranPresence]

Hopefully Vinny (and Klim Kostin) help some of these dumb dumbs around the NHL realize that sometimes staying put for a bit less money in a great situation is better than chasing the dough. Desharnais did this to himself and I am not shocked by this outcome.

 

[Pucklington]

Desharnais to Edmonton for 2nd or 3rd round pick.

Edmonton let him walk because they thought 2M was too rich.

Why would they trade even a 3rd for him now that he's struggling.

 

[biturbo19]

Well yeah, he's been absolute crap with Vancouver. Whatever "upside" they thought they saw, simply was not there.


I think more likely, he ends up just being the salary offset in whatever deal they end up making for an actual Top-4D though.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Hopefully Vinny (and Klim Kostin) help some of these dumb dumbs around the NHL realize that sometimes staying put for a bit less money in a great situation is better than chasing the dough. Desharnais did this to himself and I am not shocked by this outcome.

Lmao

For fringe guys, there’s no guarantees. Zero. No guarantees you’ll be able to produce the same. No guarantee of health. There isn’t even a guarantee you make the team following year.

The literal smartest thing to do is get that bag if it’s being offered.