Reports that the Edmonton Oilers like Vincent Desharnais are not new. Dating back to when the team gave him a shot out of the AHL versus trading for a more established defenseman, he’s not let them down and has exceeded expectations. Reports had surfaced that the Oilers and Desharnais’ camp had already engaged in contract talks — which were put on hold when the playoffs began. An update on those reports suggests the deal might be a long-term one.
It has been cited that Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer claims the Oilers would like to get a six or seven-year deal done with Desharnais, locking up the pending UFA to a deal that would keep him in Edmonton long-term. As for what the salary expectation would be, that is not entirely clear.
Is a long-term deal the best plan for the Oilers and Desharnais? There are several reasons to suggest it might be.
Desharnais Is Worth Investing In
As a pending UFA, there will be interest in Desharnais around the NHL. He’s a big body who consistently makes the smart play. He’s progressing at an extremely impressive rate and he’s still young enough that a six-year deal would only take him to the age of 33. It’s taken him some time to get to this point in his career, so to call him a gamer would be an understatement. This is a player with a no-quit mentality who has finally discovered who he is as a player and has taken huge steps to find his pathway in the NHL.
As Jason Strudwick said on the Got Yer’ Back podcast Sunday night after Game 4, Desharnais is earning more money and making himself more valuable every time he steps on the ice. He’s become a trusted defenseman who gets first-unit penalty-killing time on a penalty kill that has been perfect in the playoffs. He offers physicality and personality. He’s coachable and a sponge for hockey knowledge. Locking him up to a lengthy deal in the hopes that he’ll become a huge bargain in the next few seasons could be a wise investment.
Desharnais Might Feel Loyal to the Oilers
Considering it was Edmonton who was patient with the player, gave him an opportunity, and elevated him to where he is now, Desharnais might feel a sense of loyalty to Edmonton versus loving the idea that he can test the market. Yes, there will be suitors who show interest if he makes himself available, but the Oilers aren’t likely to lowball him. They’re looking to trade security for dollars.
Cody Ceci‘s deal will be up in 2025 and Desharnais can slip right in and take his place. This is a winning team with a chance to contend and they intend to up his minutes game by game, eventually keeping him in their top four. To say he’ll get a better opportunity would be a stretch. That must have value to Desharnais who will be weighing his options.
Related: Oilers Shut Out Kings 1-0 in Game 4, Grab 3-1 Series Lead
You can see it on the defenseman’s face and in his relationship with players like Stuart Skinner. There’s a bond on this team that money can’t buy.
What Number Makes Sense for Desharnais?
A long-term deal should bring the defenseman’s cap hit down. He could sign a three-year deal, see how much he progresses, and try to secure a bigger deal at the age of 30, but there’s a risk in doing that for both parties. First, if Desharnais has come close to his ceiling as a defenseman, this opportunity to secure his future is a golden one. If he improves, his numbers might be marginally better in three seasons’ time as the cap goes up. However, if his improvement isn’t exponential, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to lock himself in with a franchise he wants to play for.
Can the Oilers get this done for less than Ceci’s money? Would $2.5 million per season make sense for both sides? There will be a team that offers more, but probably not for Desharnais on a six-year deal. $2.5 is a significant jump from the $762K he’s making now. It also leaves room for this deal to be a bargain in one or two years.
Some may argue that’s too big a risk for a player with only a couple of seasons under his belt and one good year to base a long-term deal on. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of betting on a player with tremendous upside. You take the risk today, hoping that the deal you lock into becomes a massive team-friendly home run later.
And for fans suggesting six years times $1.5 million, it’s not happening. Desharnais has proven himself to be worth more than that. There’s no way his agent lets him lock into that small an AAV for that long.