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Get to Know Capitals’ Defenseman Vincent Desharnais

Vincent Desharnais, when he was with the San Jose Sharks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

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Get to Know Capitals’ Defenseman Vincent Desharnais

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Hayley Paljug | Last updated Jul 9, 2026 8:45 AM ET

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Among a busy start to NHL free agency, the Washington Capitals signed 30-year-old defenseman Vincent Desharnais to a four-year, $16.8 million contract. This comes after longstanding players Nic Dowd and Trevor van Riemsdyk were moved at the trade deadline and the start of free agency, respectively. The team needed a big, powerful defender to help fill in those gaps, and Desharnais fit the bill.

The Beginnings of a Career

Desharnais began making a name for himself in the hockey world with Providence College, where he played from 2015 to 2019. In his senior season, he was given Hockey East’s Defensive Defenseman of the Year Award. He is a textbook defensive defenseman. He is not flashy or high-scoring, like Jakob Chychrun, but instead takes on a quieter role where he protects the puck effectively, delivers big hits, and uses his size as an asset.

At 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, he is a force to be reckoned with. The Edmonton Oilers recognized this skillset when they drafted him in the seventh round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He played three seasons of minor league hockey, splitting time between the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder and the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Bakersfield Condors. In March 2022, the Oilers offered him a two-year, entry-level contract.

Desharnais’ NHL Career

Desharnais totaled 16 points during his time in Edmonton and recorded his first NHL goal against the Calgary Flames. He also helped them in their playoff runs in 2023 and 2024. He had a lot of success during the 2023-24 season, establishing career-high numbers in assists (10), points (11) and shots (41). Desharnais became a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season and signed with the Vancouver Canucks. After a short stint in Vancouver, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a package for the Canucks to acquire Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor.

He played just 10 games in Pittsburgh before being moved to the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline in exchange for a 2028 fifth-round draft pick. The blueliner had a solid showing last season with the Sharks. He tallied seven points and averaged a career-high 18:11 of ice time across 53 games. He tied for second among Sharks defensemen for blocked shots (83) and ranked third in hits (103). He also finished the season with a plus-7 rating, second on the team only to Macklin Celebrini.

The Quebec native will now make his mark in Washington, D.C. this season. He is just one piece of what the Capitals are building and will bring some defensive power to the back end and add even more depth and size to an already intimidating roster. He will slot in seamlessly alongside other heavy-hitters like Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Martin Fehervary, or Chychrun.

With key defenseman Rasmus Sandin set to miss the start of the season with a knee injury, it will be all the more important for the team’s defense to step up in his absence, and Desharnais should find himself playing a critical role. He will be able to play on the right side with either Chychrun or Cole Hutson, adding power and strong defense to counterbalance the smaller, more offensively-minded defenders. He is also strong at defending the net-front, an area that the Capitals have needed help strengthening.

Speaking on Desharnais’ Signing

He seems like a perfect fit for the team and the roster they are looking to build. “It was a no-brainer,” Desharnais said about joining the Capitals. “It was really hard to say no.” He went on to explain that he is “a team-first kind of guy, and I’ll make sure we definitely stir some stuff up net front and in the corners.”

When asked to describe his play style, Desharnais indicated that, “Consistency is a big thing… When I’m at my best, I’m a consistent player, I’m not flashy,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in my D-zone, take a lot of pride in having a good stick, take a lot of pride in having a good PK… I try to bring my compete level at the highest level I can.”

Head coach Spencer Carbery expressed excitement surrounding Desharnais’ signing, too. “We know exactly what he is and his identity as an NHL defenseman, I think he has a great understanding of that. I think it’s going to make a perfect fit… [he is] able to really give us a reliable, strong, physical, good-defending defender.”

The Capitals have made blockbuster moves this offseason, including the additions of Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, and Boone Jenner, as well as the re-signing of Ovechkin. They are looking to build a playoff-ready roster that can, ultimately, bring home another Stanley Cup to D.C. Excitement for the team is mounting, and Desharnais couldn’t have said it better: “We are going to be scary.”

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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