Oilers sign 6 foot, 6 inch tall shutdown defenseman

This kid is a MONSTER!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Oilers sign 6 foot, 6 inch tall shutdown defenseman
Zuma Press

According to a report from Boston Bruins and NCAA college hockey insider Mark Divver, the Edmonton Oilers have signed former 7th round pick (183rd overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft) Vinny Desharnais to an AHL contract.



The 23 year old defenseman recently completed his college career with Providence College putting up five goals and 13 points in 42 games. Perhaps his most impressive statistic though is his sheer size. The Laval, Quebec native stands at six feet, six inches and weighs in at 210 pounds. Desharnais is a physically imposing blueliner with a bit of a mean streak and strong character and leadership abilities.

Just how good is this kid and might we see him in the NHL with the Oilers soon? Check out this scouting report from Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal:

“The massive blueliner was already 20 when the Oilers picked him in the 7th round of that same 2016 Draft that produced fellow d-men Niemelainen, Cairns and Filip Berglund, with only the latter making our Top 25. At least Desharnais hasn’t fallen down the rankings like (Markus) Niemelainen and (Matthew) Cairns. Instead he has held fast at #33 for the third year in a row, which isn’t exactly a promising sign either.”
“Desharnais has precious little offence, scoring just 4 goals in the last 4 years (the first with Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL, the next 3 at Providence College). His 2017-18 boxcars of 0-11-11 were modest enough, but represented a big leap forward from the measly 10 points he collected in his previous three seasons/combined/. He had some impressive moments at the recent development camp, showing better-than-expected puck skills to complement good defensive positioning and a commanding reach. This season highlight pack put together by Matt Mosewich for EDM Prospect Watch gives a taste off the player but not his essence; the interested reader might prefer this longer vid also compiled by Mosewich showing each of Desharnais’ shifts from a sample game.”



 

Source: Mark Divver