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David Desharnais

David Desharnais Re-Signs In KHL

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Teams looking for some last minute free agent shopping could have received some good news earlier this week when it came out that NHL veteran David Desharnais was set to terminate his contract with HC Lokomotiv in the KHL, but it turns out that he won’t be coming back to North America. The 31-year old Desharnais has signed a one-year deal with Avangard Omsk and will be remaining in the KHL this season.

It was quickly reported after the termination news surfaced that Desharnais would be switching KHL clubs, but it wasn’t clear where he’d be headed. We know now that he’ll be joining long-time NHL head coach Bob Hartley in Omsk, where he’ll likely play a key role. Desharnais doesn’t appear to be anywhere near the end of his playing career, and is actually coming off a season with the New York Rangers where he posted 28 points in 71 games. Though there may not be a ton of room left for him in the NHL, there’s no reason to believe that he won’t find a lot of success in the KHL.

An offensive dynamo in junior, Desharnais went undrafted partly because of his small stature and had to fight his way up through the minor leagues. That included an incredible 106-point season in 2007-08 with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, in which he registered a 27-game point streak and put up one of the best playoff performances in the history of the league with 33 points in 22 games. Desharnais would find relative success in the AHL, and become a 60-point player for the Montreal Canadiens in 2011-12. In the KHL he’ll face a new test, but could potentially set himself up for another contract in North America next summer. Given the lack of center depth for many teams around the league, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his name pop up down the road.

Minor Transactions: 08/21/18

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One day closer to the start of the NHL preseason, and there are more moves happening in other corners of the hockey world. We’ll keep track of them right here.

  • Igor Eronko of Sport-Express is reporting that David Desharnais will see his contract terminated in the KHL, only to sign with another team. Desharnais signed quickly this summer with HC Lokomotiv, but is apparently headed somewhere else to start his KHL journey. The diminutive center played 71 games for the New York Rangers last season and actually contributed 28 points, but took a deal just a few days into free agency to head overseas. Now 31-years old, Desharnais could eventually return to the NHL if he can prove his offensive touch is still around.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Martins Dzierkals has signed with Dinamo Riga of the KHL, heading back to his home country of Latvia after several years in North America. Drafted in the third round three years ago, Dzierkals never earned an NHL contract from the Maple Leafs but had been working with their development staff and playing in the ECHL. The talented forward will test his game at a higher level in 2017-18, and could try to earn a contract somewhere else in the NHL in the next few years.

David Desharnais, Others Sign In KHL

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Another center option is off the market, but David Desharnais isn’t going anywhere in the NHL. The diminutive center is headed overseas to join HC Lokomotiv in the KHL on a one-year contract. Iiro Pakarinen and Patrice Cormier have also signed one-year deals in the KHL, for Magnitogorsk and Barys Astana respectively. Victor Antipin, after trying one season with the Buffalo Sabres, is back with Magnitogorsk for three more seasons. Anton Slepyshev has also returned, signing a two-year contract with CSKA.

The KHL has become a landing spot for plenty of players unwilling to return to the minor leagues, but it’s kind of surprising that Desharnais decided so quickly to take his talents overseas. Scoring 28 points for the New York Rangers last season, he’s still only 31 and is a fine bottom-six center in the NHL. Perhaps he doesn’t want to play that type of role, as he’ll likely get much more ice time even powerplay experience in the KHL. Desharnais remember was once a 60-point player in the NHL, and put up some legendary seasons in the QMJHL as a junior player.  There is plenty of offensive talent in his game, something that was unlikely to show playing 12 minutes a night on the fourth line.

Antipin’s departure from Buffalo is a bit disappointing, given that he actually was fairly successful in his limited role there last season. Though he only played a little over 15 minutes a night in his 47 games, he looked like there could be a future for him in the NHL as a two-way defenseman. Instead, he’ll return to the KHL where he can continue to log big minutes for Magnitogorsk. There’s no guarantee that he doesn’t attempt to come back in three seasons, and since the Sabres didn’t extend him a qualifying offer he will be free to sign with whoever he wants.

David Desharnais Signs With Yaroslavl Lokomotiv

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Though we’ve known for a while that David Desharnais would be heading to the KHL, we now know where he’ll play in 2018-19. Louis Jean of TVA Sports reports that Desharnais has signed with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, joining former NHL players like Maxime Talbot, Staffan Kronwall, and Brandon Kozun.

It’s surprising that Desharnais would make this decision so quickly, as even though there wasn’t likely a huge market for him this summer, he’s still a useful depth player. The 31-year old center had 28 points for the New York Rangers this season, and was once again a positive in the faceoff dot. Desharnais is obviously not the 60-point player of his youth, but there are plenty of teams that need fourth-line centers that can move up the lineup if needed.

Instead, he’ll avoid the perils of unrestricted free agency and go play in the KHL for the first time. The undrafted Desharnais spent some time in the NLA during the most recent lockout, but will have a new set of experiences playing in Russia. There is a good chance that he finds a lot of success for Lokomotiv, as he’s always been an effective offensive player when given the chance. It’s unclear how long he has signed for, but it’s likely that we’ll see Desharnais back in North America at some point.

Rangers’ David Desharnais Headed to KHL

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With the New York Rangers in rebuilding mode and the expected full-time roles that are likely to be given to top prospects Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, the writing looked to be on the wall for veteran center David Desharnais. Now, European insider Igor Eronko reports that the 31-year-old Desharnais intends to continue his career overseas with the KHL.

Desharnais was unlikely to return to New York as he will be an unrestricted free agent in July. He signed a one-year, $1MM contract last summer to help offset the Rangers’ losses of Derek Stepan, who the team traded to Arizona, and Oscar Lindberg, who the team lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. The team had hopes that Andersson might make the team out of training camp, but also wanted insurance in case the 18-year-old didn’t. Desharnais provided that depth after Andersson was returned to Sweden, and played 71 games, but tallied just six goals and 28 points this season.

While there is no word on whether he has a deal in place, Desharnais has spent most of his career in North America, having only played 16 games during the 2012-13 strike in Switzerland. Desharnais played most of his career for the Montreal Canadiens and had several good seasons, including 60-point, 52-point and 48-point seasons between 2011 to 2015 seasons. However injuries have derailed his career and the veteran has struggled to hold onto his roster spot as the Canadiens traded him to the Edmonton Oilers last season for their playoff run, while the Oilers opted not to re-sign him last offseason.

Edmonton Trades Brandon Davidson To Islanders

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The Edmonton Oilers announced they have traded defenseman Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick, a move that might be considered a win-win move for both teams.

For the Oilers, the team really cashed in on Davidson’s success this season considering he was untradeable just a couple of months ago. He was picked up in the middle of the year when Edmonton claimed him from the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 3. The Canadiens, who tried to trade him off could find no takers at the time and forced them into placing the blueliner on waivers. However, he fared well in Edmonton as a bottom-tier defenseman. The fact the team was able to get a third-rounder for him is an excellent move from Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli. Many people assumed the Oilers might keep the 26-year-old defenseman around for next season. Ironically, it marks the second time in two years the Oilers have traded Davidson at the trade deadline. They sent him last year to Montreal in exchange for forward David Desharnais.

As for the Islanders, the team adds some much needed defensive depth for a team that is struggling with injuries on the blueline. Davidson immediately fills in as a bottom-pairing defenseman where the team needs the most help. The Islanders, who have the No. 4-ranked offense in the NHL, need help on defense as they have allowed more goals per game than any other team in the league at 3.56 per game. Nevertheless, the Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot, which if they can secure a spot, might aid them in their bid to re-sign center John Tavares at  the end of the season. Davidson, who makes $1.425MM this year will be a restricted free agent for the Islanders when the offseason hits. He is unlikely to make much more than that next season, making him a solid, inexpensive player who might fill the shoes of one of their potential defensive free agents like Calvin de Haan or Thomas Hickey.

Davidson played 13 games for the Canadiens earlier this year and had just one assist in limited playing time. He had played 23 games for the Oilers since being acquired and has had three goals and an assist and is averaging now 16:29 of ice time combined between both teams as the Oilers have used him quite a bit. While not a great puck-moving defenseman, Davidson is a solid defenseman who can hit hard.

The Islanders may still have a bigger move planned in the upcoming days before the deadline as they have moved a 2019 third-rounder instead of moving one of the multiple picks they have for this year’s draft. New York has two first-rounders, two second-rounders as well as their third, fourth and fifth round picks for 2018, most of which they picked up in the Travis Hamonic trade in the offseason with the Calgary Flames.

Poll: Should The New York Rangers Buy Or Sell?

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Every week in our live chat, a question is inevitably asked:

Will the New York Rangers buy or sell at the deadline?

The question is understandable given the Rangers’ inconsistent season so far. Though they are right in the thick of the playoff chase in the Metropolitan Division, there has been several occasions where the team doesn’t look deep or good enough to make a real impact in the postseason. Tonight is one of those nights so far, as they trail the Toronto Maple Leafs as of this writing 4-0.

The Rangers have some significant assets if they decide to sell, including captain Ryan McDonagh and top scorer Mats Zuccarello. Both players have another year on their deals at a reasonable cap hit, and could bring back considerable value if made available. The decision to make them available though, doesn’t seem certain this point.

They also have several expiring contracts in Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, David Desharnais and Nick Holden, all of whom could be valuable on the trade deadline market. Those players could be moved without sacrificing any talent next season, but would signal a sort of white flag on 2017-18.

So what do you think? Should the Rangers blow it up completely, just move out a few rentals or actually add for a run at the playoffs? It’s not out of the question that they could be in a playoff spot by this time next week, making it hard to decide to throw in the towel. Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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Edmonton Claims Davidson Off Waivers

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The Edmonton Oilers have claimed defenseman Brandon Davidson off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens today, according to Elliotte Friedman. This will mark Davidson’s second stint in Edmonton as the Oilers were the team to draft him back in 2010.

Davidson played 91 games for the Oilers until he was traded in February of last season to Montreal for David Desharnais. Davidson was considered a promising young defenseman a few years ago with excellent defensive skills, but never fully developed in Edmonton. After being traded to Montreal, however, he never seemed to be in the coaching staff’s plans too often as he only played 23 games for the Canadiens since February. This season, Davidson has one assist in 13 games.

Now reunited with his previous team, Davidson should immediately jump into their lineup with their injuries on the blueline to Adam Larsson and Andrej Sekera. However, Larsson is eligible to come off injured reserve on Wednesday, and if he does, the team will have to make another defensive decision then, as they will have eight players on the blueline. However, Davidson might be a preferred option to defenseman Yohann Auvito, who has a history of taking a lot of risks on offense.

Assuming he stays with Edmonton after that, he could get a matchup with his old team on Saturday in Montreal.

Trade Rumors: Canadiens, Canucks, Maple Leafs

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The Montreal Canadiens are not even 12 hours into their latest trade and the team is already thinking about their next move. A report from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels states that defenseman Brandon Davidson could soon be on his way out of town. Habs GM Marc Bergevin is not just listening to offers for Davidson; he emailed the entire league informing the other 30 general managers of the blue liner’s availability. While the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ian Cole is also known to be on the block right now, Davidson should come at a much lesser price and be much easier (and more timely) to move. The 26-year-old has been a frequent scratch this season and has just one point in 13 games. It wasn’t long ago that Davidson was thought to be an up-and-coming rearguard, playing major minutes for the 2015-16 Edmonton Oilers after a long stretch of solid AHL play. However, when he was shipped to Montreal for a rental in David Desharnais at last year’s trade deadline, it was clear his stock had dropped. Davidson could still be a valued depth addition for many teams, though. The Canadiens likely won’t have to shop him for very long.

  • Following the difficult news about Derek Dorsett, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was very clear with the media today that he won’t be looking to trade for a replacement for the veteran grinder. Instead, Benning said that the situation “gives guys a chance to play more and step up.” The Canucks plan to fill Dorsett’s void internally, with the recently-promoted Nikolay Goldobin getting the first shot. After a hot start, Vancouver has been slipping of late and more than anything needs to put the puck in the net more often. Goldobin should be an offensive upgrade over Dorsett, but can he handle a big role?
  • Following the Anaheim Ducks-New Jersey Devils blockbuster today, many in the hockey media are asking a predictable question: Why weren’t the Toronto Maple Leafs in on Sami Vatanen? It feels like the Leafs have been searching for a top-pair right-shot defenseman to play alongside Morgan Rielly for years now, yet couldn’t top an offer of Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi to get an elite righty puck-mover in Vatanen? Nazem Kadri is perhaps the closest comparable in the NHL to Henrique and, although three years older, Tyler Bozak compares favorably to Henrique as well. With a wealth of young talent in the AHL to boot, it seems unlikely that Lou Lamoriello and company couldn’t have outbid the Devils if they wanted to, so perhaps the better question is why didn’t they want to? In a relatively weak Atlantic Division, no one will be surprised if Toronto makes a run to the Eastern Conference Finals this year and maybe farther. If they don’t reach that goal, they may find themselves regretting missing the chance to strengthen the defense both this season and beyond.

Metropolitan Notes: Hakstol, Simmonds, Nieves, Malkin

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After having lost seven straight games, Philadelphia Flyers’ fans seem to be doing a lot of finger pointing in the direction of head coach Dave Hakstol. There are many questions of his coaching decisions and Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic (subscription required) details how there are many questions that need to be asked about some of his decision-making during Friday’s overtime loss against the New York Islanders.

After an overtime to those same Islanders on Wednesday, Hakstol said he would change up the 3-on-3 rotations in overtime for Friday’s game. The scribe writes that the problem with changing the OT rotations is that none of the combinations had any experience playing together and looked out of place with one another. Even the addition of defenseman Brandon Manning seemed out of place when there were several stronger defensemen to choose from.

O’Connor also said you have to start wondering whether Hakstol is the right person to lead this franchise as it looks more and more like the team is overrun with developing young players. Regardless, he doubts general manager Ron Hextall is ready to make a change. The GM is the one who hired Hakstol and the coach still has more than two years left on his deal. But how long will be able to hold off on making a change if the team continues to lose?

  • Still with the Flyers, Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that after Friday’s performance against the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds is starting to look like his old self after playing through numerous injuries. The scribe writes that Simmonds’ speed has been noticeably faster. He also potted his first goal in the last 14 games. The 29-year-old wing is coming off four straight seasons in which he’s scored 28 or more goals. He has seven goals so far in 23 contests.
  • The New York Rangers might be without forward Boo Nieves for a little while, according to Newsday’s Steve Zipay. The rookie center only played in 3:10 of Friday’s game against the Red Wings before he left in the second period with a lower-body injury. According to Zipay, Nieves grabbed his hip during a play during the first period. He had already missed three games earlier this year due to the flu. Veteran David Desharnais, who has been a healthy scratch for three straight games, would likely take over for Nieves.
  • Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin will sit out tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings with an upper-body injury. He has already missed the team’s last two games, and although he has been skating, he remains day-to-day.

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