Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman revealed back in October that before Sam Lafferty was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks, the Toronto Maple Leafs had offered him to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenceman Vincent Desharnais.
Lafferty was a player the Oilers were rumoured to be interested in last season when he was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, as he checked many boxes for them — a middle-six centerman who can score and play physically. Ultimately, the Oilers turned down the offer from the Maple Leafs, prioritizing blue-line depth. Yet, in light of Edmonton’s early-season troubles with defensive challenges, and lack of secondary scoring, at the time, the non-move appeared to be a potential misstep.
Related: 3 Depth Forwards Oilers Linked to Ahead of Trade Deadline
However, given what we know now, especially with the Oilers currently on a 10-game winning streak, Edmonton is reaping the rewards of a smart decision of not trading their homegrown defenceman. Desharnais’ game has grown noticeably, and he’s also added a skillful touch that has boosted his overall value.
Desharnais’ Qualities Are Harder to Find Than Lafferty’s
The Maple Leafs traded Lafferty to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick on Oct. 8 and the move has worked out well for Canucks. He’s tallied 19 points this season, and he brings a physical edge down the middle that would’ve seamlessly filled the 3C spot on the Oilers, an area they’re likely looking to upgrade.
On the other hand, Desharnais has excelled in his third pairing role with partner Brett Kulak. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Laval, PQ native currently boasts the fourth-best expected goals against (xGA) (2.00) per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 in the NHL among defencemen with 300 or more minutes played. The only three players ahead of him with a better xGA per 60 minutes are Nate Schmidt, Jonas Brodin, and Miro Heiskanen, who are all accomplished NHL blueliners.
That said, when considering the optics of the proposed trade from the Maple Leafs, involving a bottom-pairing defenceman for a potential third-line center, it might give the perception that the Oilers missed out on a significant opportunity. However, I believe Edmonton made the correct choice in retaining their imposing blueliner for the valuable attributes he brings to the table. Desharnais is fourth on the team in blocked shots (50), sixth in hits (46) and ranks fourth in total minutes played on the penalty kill (77:42) and the Oilers have only given up nine goals while he’s been on the ice shorthanded all season.
Additionally, acquiring a third-line center at the trade deadline may be more costly than the fifth-round draft pick that the Maple Leafs eventually traded Lafferty for; however, I believe it will be easier for the Oilers to find a 3C that matches Lafferty’s attributes than it is to find a defender that matches Desharnais’. Moreover, as The Hockey Writers’ Jim Parsons wrote recently, Edmonton has been linked to forwards such as Sean Monahan and Kevin Hayes, options that parallel traits that Lafferty could’ve brought to the table.
As mentioned, I believe it would be more challenging to find a player with qualities similar to Desharnais’ massive 6-foot-7, 226-pound frame, long reach, physical presence, and nastiness in front of the net. Also, a bonus is that his puck-handling skills have seen a notable improvement in the last couple of months.
Oilers Are Benefiting From Desharnais’ Puck Skills
As a former seventh-round pick, Desharnais was merely finding his stride in his first year in the league last season with a focus on being a defensive defenceman who got under the opposition’s skin, such as when he baited Maple Leafs’ captain John Tavares to take a slashing penalty against him in a heated moment last March. However, in the last couple of months, he has introduced a layer of poise in his puck-moving ability ever since Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey took over behind the bench.
A few weeks back on the “Oilers Now” show, Coffey shared that from day one on the job he communicated the expectations of his defenceman and stated that if the blueliners want Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl to like them, then they need to make plays and put the puck on their stick.
With that in mind, raise your hand if you held your breath when Desharnais attempted to make plays around his net last season. I know I did. But since Coffey took over the Oilers’ d-corps, the unit as a whole and especially Desharnais, has looked comfortable making plays and transitioning the puck to the forwards, rather than shooting the puck off the glass and out.
While he hasn’t racked up a ton of points (five), his puck-moving helps the Oilers maintain their attacking rhythm and contributes to their momentum. That said, the 6-foot-7 blueliner talked about Coffey boosting his confidence, having said in December:
“I think that’s the biggest thing he brought to our D-core, the confidence to make plays and confidence of trusting your partner and not just kind of throwing the puck everywhere and trying to clear the zone.”
– Vincent Desharnais
Desharnais’ confidence is very apparent and his transition to becoming a capable puck mover in the short span of a couple of months is truly impressive. He’s not looking to get rid of the puck the moment he gets it, but looking at the best option he could pass to for the Oilers to get on the attack. Coupled with that, he’s been a very effective penalty killer, using his long reach to interrupt cross-ice passes and he has surprising quickness for a man his size, as evidenced by his second-place finish in the Oilers’ fastest skater event during the skills competition on Jan. 4.
Taking into account all the intangibles he brings to the back end and also his rapid development in his 73 NHL regular season games, it’s easy to see why Toronto wanted him earlier this season. Nevertheless, Desharnais will need to be ready for battle on Jan. 16 against the team that expressed interest in him, as the Maple Leafs take on the Oilers at Rogers Place — a matchup loaded with some of the NHL’s best stars, that’s bound to be must-see TV.
Did the Oilers make the right move in not trading Desharnais for Lafferty? Have your say in the comments below!
