Vincent Desharnais set to return to Edmonton Oilers lineup on Saturday against Maple Leafs

Desharnais has been out of the lineup since reportedly suffering a broken finger in a fight with Josh Manson of the Colorado Avalanche on March 16.

Desharnais and Manson squared off late in the second period of that game, in which the Avs pulled out a 3-2 win. The two only threw a handful of punches, but it was enough for Desharnais to go to the locker room afterward.

The 27-year-old missed just two games due to the ailment, which saw the Oilers beat the Montreal Canadiens in overtime this past Tuesday, prior to hammering the Buffalo Sabres 8-3 two days later.

Desharnais, who has missed four games this season, has registered nine points in 63 appearances, scoring his first NHL goal in Edmonton’s 5-2 victory over the rival Calgary Flames on Oct. 29.

After spending the first three seasons of his professional career strictly in the minor leagues, Desharnais made his NHL in January 2023 with Edmonton, and ended up becoming a mainstay in the Oilers’ lineup all the way through the second round of the playoffs.

In 99 career appearances, Desharnais has registered a goal and 13 assists with a plus-21 rating. He is in the final year of a two-year contract with a $762,500 AAV, and is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Oilers (42-21-4) are vying for the second seed in the Pacific Division. Coming into Saturday, they are second in the division, five points ahead of the third-place Los Angeles Kings, but are eight behind the Vancouver Canucks for first.