The time has finally come for Vincent Desharnais, as the defenseman was called up to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday morning, marking his first-ever call up to the NHL. Despite having yet to play in an NHL game, however, the Oilers organization has been high on him for some time, and will now get to see how he performs against the world’s best (from ‘Lowetide: 5 obscure Edmonton Oilers prospects pushing for an NHL look’, The Athletic, 9/24/22).
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So far in the 2022-23 season, Desharnais has suited up for 13 games with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL), registering two assists and 19 penalty minutes. He will never be a player that wows anyone offensively but is instead known as a shutdown defender who has a massive frame at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds. His physical presence could provide an immediate boost to a team who has found itself getting pushed around as of late.
Desharnais Took Long Path to NHL
As mentioned, this is Desharnais’ first call-up of his career, and it certainly hasn’t been an easy road. The 26-year-old was selected by the Oilers in the seventh round (183 overall) of the 2016 Draft. He hasn’t progressed as quickly as most prospects, but the organization clearly saw potential in him and chose to be patient.
That patience is paying off, as Desharnais has really improved his game since turning pro back in 2019-20. Prior to his professional career, he spent four seasons with Providence College, where he played the same physical, shutdown style he does now.
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Boding well for Desharnais, and what has likely earned him this opportunity, is that he spent parts of three seasons under both Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson with the Condors. Woodcroft has spoken highly about him on a number of occasions and even suggested this past Fall that he had a shot at cracking the opening-day lineup. Ultimately, that never came to fruition due to a wrist injury suffered prior to camp, but he has an opportunity to stick around if he can impress early.
Desharnais Can Be Slotted Into Several Roles in Lineup
As far as where Desharnais will fit into the lineup, that remains to be seen. At the time of writing this, the Oilers are just hours away from facing off against the Los Angeles Kings, and he isn’t expected to be in the lineup. That said, depending on the result, he could…
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