Just Who Is Vincent Desharnais

The seventh round is meant for picking players that fit a need and guys with boom or bust potential. The Oilers boomed with Ziyat Paigin in 2015, and hopefully found another gem this past June in the form of Vincent Desharnais.

The 6’6” rearguard is entering his sophomore season at Providence College, but he must show more than he did last year to truly be a prospect of note.

So…..Just Who Is Vincent Desharnais?:

After one season (1-4-5 in 54 games) in the BCHL with the Chilliwack Chiefs, Desharnais headed state-side and played in the NCAA during the 2015-16 season at Providence College. He only suited up for 19 games with the defending champions, and he didn’t show much offense. In those 19 tilts, he only registered a single goal and added a lone assist for just two points.

This is a player with very limited offensive potential. Even in the BCHL, a tier two junior league, Desharnais failed to produce any kind of offense. Expecting him to one day contribute on the powerplay or offensively at five-on-five is an expectation beyond reach for this particular player.

What he does bring to the table, however, is size and defensive ability. Desharnais is bigger than most at 6’6” and 210 pounds, so he’s able to physically dominate defensively. His positioning is described as smart, while his style fits the shut-down mold.

Footspeed, however, is a bit of a question mark.

What Can We Expect:

Desharnais is, to be quite frank, a project. In fairness, just about every seventh rounder is a project, but especially this player. Everything about him offensively needs work, and his speed certainly needs to be improved on. In year two, I think Oiler fans should be able to expect Desharnais to become a regular in the Providence lineup. That means going from around 19 games played to about 30.

Offensively, I think it’s fair to expect an NHL draft choice to at least hit ten points on the season. Judging by this player’s past, however, that may be expecting too much.

Will He Be a Long Term Oiler?:

I’ll be very surprised. Desharnais has already proven, at the BCHL and college levels, that he struggles to produce offense. Factor in his below average footspeed and you have a prospect who is in tough to make it as a professional hockey player.

I think the Oilers will let Desharnais play the next three seasons at Providence College before making a decision on him, effectively keeping him in the organization for a few more seasons. Barring a massive improvement, however, Desharnais will be hard pressed to land a professional contract.