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Ex-Oiler Vincent Desharnais reveals his reasons for signing with rivals Vancouver Canucks
Edmonton Oilers star Vincent Desharnais signed with a bitter rival in free agency. The defenseman is now with the Vancouver Canucks on a two-year, $4 million deal. It was surprising that the defender signed with a rival after playing with a team that nearly made a historic comeback in the NHL Stanley Cup Final.
He admitted that it was challenging to make that decision but that the impression he got of Vancouver while he was with Edmonton helped.
"Every line is relentless. They're always in your face, forechecking so hard. As a defenseman, it's tough. It's not something that's fun to play against. You know it's going to be a long night retrieving pucks," Desharnais said via Sportsnet.
He added that being hard to play against in the defensive zone is his main characteristic and that it fits with the Canucks well. Desharnais said that the coaching staff in Vancouver does a great job of that:
"That's something I was really looking forward to. I'm a defense-first defenseman, so I'm very excited to get going and start working with Adam Foote."
Desharnais said that he's heard nothing but good things about the assistant coach and that he's certain Foote will help him improve even more.
Patrik Allvin pleased with growth of Vincent Desharnais
Though he wasn't the general manager of the team Vincent Desharnais was on last year, Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin saw some growth from the defenseman that prompted a signing.
According to NHL.com, Allvin said:
“We were really impressed by the strides Vincent made this year at the NHL level. Our team got to see firsthand how big and strong he is on the ice during our playoff series against Edmonton. The coaching staff are really looking forward to working with him this year, to help him grow and improve as a hockey player."
Desharnais played 78 games with the Oilers in 2023-24 and amassed 11 points. He registered 54 penalty minutes and a +3 plus/minus rating.
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