Vancouver Canucks FA addition Vincent Desharnais gives his opinion on Oilers fanbase after exit

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Aug 08, 2024 05:10 GMT

On July 2, 2024, Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced the signing of defenceman Vincent Desharnais. The two-year contract is worth $2 million per year. Desharnais, who played his entire NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers, expressed his gratitude to Oilers fans.

Desharnais appreciated the overwhelming support from Oil Country and showed the positive side of social media. He was touched by the outpouring of love and support from the Edmonton community and said he would miss his teammates, the city of Edmonton, and the loyal fans.

"People always say social media is negative, but when I posted a thank you to Oil Country I had over 600 comments and they were all positive. It was very heartwarming and overwhelming to read and made me feel even better about my time in Edmonton. I will miss the boys, the city and the fans, but I look forward to playing against them," Desharnais said (via Sports 1440).

In the 2023-24 season, Desharnais played 78 games for the Oilers. He scored 1 goal and had 10 assists, with 54 penalty minutes and a +3 plus/minus rating. He also played 16 playoff games, recording one assist and 22 penalty minutes.

Desharnais played 114 regular-season games with the Oilers, scoring 1 goal and 15 assists. He had 85 penalty minutes and a +18 plus/minus rating. In 28 playoff games, he registered three assists and 30 penalty minutes, averaging 15:41 of ice time per game. Drafted by the Oilers in the seventh round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Laval, QC native became a reliable defenceman.

Vancouver Canucks also signed Goalie Arturs Silovs

On July 17, 2024, the Vancouver Canucks signed goaltender Arturs Silovs to a 2-year contract. He was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, 156th overall. General Manager Patrik Allvin praised Silovs' contributions last season and is hopeful about his future.

“Arturs helped us out a lot when called upon last year as he continues to grow and develop as a goalie,” Allvin said (via NHL.com on July 17, 2024). “We expect him to come into training camp and battle for a full-time position with the big club. Our group will continue to work with him to help sharpen his skills and provide him with all the tools necessary to take another step forward in his young career.”

In the NHL, he has played nine regular-season games with a 6-2-1 record, a 2.62 goals against average and an .898 save percentage.