Oilers fan favourite may get his big time contract next year from another team

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Noel Drolet
March 8, 2024 (5:48 PM)

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With the trade deadline coming to a close, it seems like the Oilers are done making moves. The Oilers acquired Troy Stetcher to shore up the RD, and Stetcher will most likely share time with Desharnais. A lot of fans thought that Desharnais would be moved due to him being a pending free agent, but now it sounds like Holland wants to keep him around. The Athletic writes about Desharnais' next contract and what that may look like with the Oilers.

https://theathletic.com/5224896/2024/01/26/oilers-vincent-desharnais-contract/

Desharnais is a very strong third pairing shutdown defender who is known for his physical play. He's a great physical presence and shot-blocking defenseman who can play on the penalty kill as well.

The Oilers are obviously an extremely capable strapped team and need to really think about every contract they're giving out. Desharnais isn't old, but he's 27 so he isn't young either. The Athletic states that his contract comparables are guys like Holl and Simek who entered late into the NHL.

Simek and Holl were given a 2.25M and 3.4M AAV contract respectively, and it seems like this could be around the range of Desharnais' next contract. It's a wonder if Holland is willing to give him this kind of money, with the 3-4 years he will most likely be asking for. The Oilers surely wouldn't mind letting him walk for another playoff run with him and it will be interesting to see if Holland is willing to shill out that kind of money, or if they'd rather get his value in a different and possibly cheaper option.