A former member of the Vancouver Cancuks’ blue line is on the move again.
On Wednesday, the San Jose Sharks acquired defenceman Vincent Desharnais from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a fifth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
#sjsharks have acquired D Vinny Desharnais from #letsgopens in exchange for a 2028 5th Round Pick.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 6, 2025
It’s the second time in a little over a month that the 28-year-old is on the move. Desharnais started the season in Vancouver. On Feb. 1, just hours after the Canucks sent J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers, Desharnais, along with Danton Heinen and prospect Melvin Fernstrom were traded to the Penguins for defenceman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor.
Desharnais came to Vancouver after two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. The Laval, Quebec native signed a two-year contract with the Canucks wth an AAV of $2 million.
In 34 games in Vancouver, Desharnais notched three assists, posting a plus/minus of -5 while averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time. He only ended up playing 10 games with Pittsburgh before being sent to San Jose, not registering a point while skating over 14 minutes of ice time per game, with a -4 rating.
Desharnais certainly struggled during his tenure in Vancouver. He was a healthy scratch multiple times and didn’t perform well enough to knock guys like Derek Forbort out of the lineup. It’s hard to say he received a fair shake with a struggling team in Pittsburgh. Now, with the plum-last Sharks, Desharnais should get plenty of ice time to get a rhythm in the everyday lineup.
The 6-foot-7 rearguard earned his deal after having a coming-out season last year in Edmonton. In 78 games, Desharnais scored a goal and 10 assists for 11 points, posting a +3 rating while averaging 15:44 of ice time.
In 158 career NHL games, Desharnais has scored a goal and 18 assists for 19 points. He also posted three assists in 28 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Oilers.
The Sharks (17-37-9) have the NHL’s worst record, two points behind the Chicago Blackhawks. The Penguins (24-30-10) are last in the Metropolitan Division, eight points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!
