Sharks acquire Vincent Desharnais from Penguins

The San Jose Sharks announced Wednesday that the club has acquired defenseman Vincent Desharnais from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fifth-round selection in the 2028 NHL Draft.

Through 44 appearances this season split between the Vancouver Canucks and Penguins, Desharnais has totaled three assists alongside 38 penalty minutes and a minus-nine rating. In late January, the Penguins acquired Desharnais from Vancouver as part of the deal that saw defenseman Marcus Pettersson shipped to the Canucks.

Originally chosen by the Edmonton Oilers in the seventh round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Desharnais has totaled 158 career contests with the Oilers, Canucks, and Penguins in which he has recorded one goal and 18 assists for 19 points. Desharnais has also added three assists through 28 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

A 28-year-old native of Laval, Que., Desharnais has also seen success in the minor-pro ranks where four seasons and 122 outings he has recorded five goals and 34 assists for 39 points. In 2021-22, as part of the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers’ top minor-league club, Desharnais led the circuit with a league-best plus-36 rating.

A graduate of the NCAA’s Providence College Friars, the 2018-19 campaign saw Desharnais recognized as Hockey East’s best defensive defenseman after he posted 13 points counting five goals and eight assists alongside a plus-22 rating in 42 appearances. Through four seasons with the Friars, Desharnais notched 29 points in 131 games.

Per PuckPedia, Desharnais is in the first year of a two-year pact that carries a $2-million annual average value.

Desharnais joins a rebuilding Sharks squad that sits at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 17-37-9 record and 43 points. In the midst of a two-game win streak, the Sharks will try for their third consecutive victory when the club retakes the ice Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche.