Vincent
Desharnais
D · WSH · Defensive · Very good
- PAL
- 77
- WAR
- 0.9
- Value
- 78
- PTS
- 7
2025-26№ 76 / 325
Vincent Desharnais (Washington Capitals) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Vincent Desharnais
HEIGHT : 201 cm · WEIGHT : 104 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : May 28, 1996 · Laval, Canada
Drafted : 2016 · EDM · round 7, pick #183
Contract : $4,200,000 · 2026-27 → 2029-30 · Standard Contract · UFA · Signing bonus $2,000,000
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Washington Capitals | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| 2025-26 | San Jose Sharks | 53 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 68 |
| 2024-25 | San Jose Sharks | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 2024-25 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | Vancouver Canucks | 34 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 34 |
| 2023-24 | Edmonton Oilers | 78 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 54 |
| 2022-23 | Edmonton Oilers | 36 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 31 |
| NHL totals | 227 | 2 | 27 | 29 | 209 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Edmonton Oilers | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| 2022-23 | Edmonton Oilers | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Playoff totals | 28 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 30 | |
Vincent Desharnais: our analysis
2025-26 season: 53 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 7 PTS, +7 +/-, 18:11 TOI. WAR 0.9 (76th of 325) · PAL 77, very good.
In 2025-26, Vincent Desharnais, 30, posts a PAL Rating of 77 out of 100 (very good), and his WAR of 0.9 ranks 76th among 325 regulars, in the top quarter.
His strengths: penalty kill (100, among the best in the league), defense (95, among the best in the league) and possession (66, above average). On the other hand, offense (2, among the weakest in the league) and shooting (4, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV defense (+3.2); his biggest cost: EV offense (-1.4).
A clear step forward: his PAL went from 39 in 2024-25 to 77; his WAR went from 0.3 to 0.9.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 78 (very good contract) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Vincent Desharnais's story
His path to pro hockey began with a season in the BCHL with the Chilliwack Chiefs, then four years at Providence College from 2015 to 2019. In his final collegiate season he was honoured as Hockey East's Best Defensive Defenseman, a recognition of the way he built his game around positioning and defensive responsibility.
Desharnais was selected in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft in his third year of eligibility, taken in the seventh round, 183rd overall, by the Edmonton Oilers. Rather than jumping straight into the NHL, he spent his early professional years splitting time between the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL and the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, gaining experience and adjusting to the pro style.
Edmonton signed him to a two-year entry-level contract in March 2022. He made his NHL debut on January 11, 2023, in a 6–2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, and scored his first NHL goal on October 29, 2023, in an outdoor game against the Calgary Flames that the Oilers won 5–2. He was also part of Edmonton's playoff rosters in 2022 and 2023.
After entering free agency, he agreed to a two-year, $4 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1, 2024, and recorded 3 assists and 34 penalty minutes in 34 games during the 2024–25 season. On January 31, 2025, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a multi-player deal, appearing in ten games for Pittsburgh with a +4 rating, before being dealt to the San Jose Sharks on March 5, 2025. On July 1, 2026, he signed a four-year, $16.8 million contract with the Washington Capitals.
Desharnais's game leans toward the defensive end: physical engagement, steady gap control and reliable clearances are the traits that carried him from college hockey through the minors and into regular NHL duty. Off the ice, he is the youngest in his family, credits his father Jacques and brother Alex for hockey influence, and is not related to former Canadiens centre David Desharnais.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 19:25
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:01
- SH TOI/GP
- 3:34
- Pts/GP
- 0.33
- EV points
- 3
- Hits
- 22
- Blocks
- 14
- Takeaways
- 1
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 43.2 %
- Off. zone starts
- 17.9 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
11between 3 and 18 (80% range)
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 9
- Games
- 56
So far: 3 pts in 9 games. The team has played 15 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.16 pts per game (last season: 0.13).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
Trend
Slightly up
- Points per game: 0.14 in 23-24, 0.13 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 39 → 77
Outlook, age included
↗ Slightly upAge 30: prime years
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
Injured reserve· Abdomen· expected back December 5
OV · OverallConfidence 77 %
74
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 71
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 88
- Confidence 81 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 65
- Confidence 80 %
- DU
- Durability
- 66
- Confidence 73 %
- CK
- Checking
- 88
- Confidence 81 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 87
- Confidence 58 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 63
- Confidence 81 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 49
- Confidence 77 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 45
- Confidence 77 %
- DF
- Defense
- 96
- Confidence 74 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 71
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating71
- Top speed (35 %)35.8 · 79
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)1.295 · 65
- Distance /60 (20 %)13.6 · 56
- Speed consistency (15 %)34.9 · 79
ST — Strength88
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)5.03 · 74
- Body mass (50 %)1.97 · 92
EN — Endurance65
- Ice time per game (45 %)17.2 · 64
- Total ice time (20 %)937 · 67
- Shift length (15 %)47.5 · 76
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)14.2 · 56
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)2.527 · 77
DU — Durability66
- Share of games played (100 %)0.742 · 66
CK — Checking88
- Hits /60 (70 %)5.767 · 88
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)5.086 · 87
- Season volume (10 %)4.644 · 82
FG — Fighting87
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)1.436 · 87
DI — Discipline63
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.077 · 62
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)1.018 · 56
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.567 · 85
PA — Passing49
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.12 · 37
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.39 · 74
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)-0.06 · 67
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.205 · 77
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.052 · 45
SC — Scoring45
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.095 · 48
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.111 · 37
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.094 · 70
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.036 · 52
- xG per shot (10 %)0.033 · 60
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)7.291 · 53
DF — Defense96
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.159 · 88
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.324 · 95
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.299 · 95
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.64 · 98
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-2.216 · 68
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)54.9 · 88
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)5.418 · 85
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience71
- Career regular-season games (65 %)76
- Career playoff games (25 %)63
- NHL seasons (10 %)55
OV — Overall74
- DF · Defense (30 %)96
- PA · Passing (22 %)49
- SK · Skating (12 %)71
- SC · Scoring (12 %)45
- EN · Endurance (9 %)65
- ST · Strength (6 %)88
- DI · Discipline (5 %)63
- CK · Checking (4 %)88
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 74 | 71 | 45 | 96 |
| 2024-25 | 69 | 75 | 37 | 92 |
| 2023-24 | 78 | 81 | 46 | 93 |
| 2022-23 | 78 | 81 | 64 | 83 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
0.9
wins above replacement
76 of 325
PAL Rating
77/ 100
Performance · Very good
53 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
78/ 100
Very good contract
2.00 M$ · expected PAL 52
ProfileDefensiveValue comes mostly from defense
- Offense
- 6
- Defense
- 97
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 2
- Creation
- 4
- Shooting
- 4
- Possession
- 66
- Defense
- 95
- Discipline
- 34
- Power play
- 49
- Penalty kill
- 100
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | SJS | 0.9 | 77 | 78 | 2.00 M$ |
| 2024-25 | SJS | 0.3 | 39 | 41 | 2.00 M$ |
| 2023-24 | EDM | 1.0 | 63 | 79 | 0.76 M$ |
| 2022-23 | EDM | 0.2 | 51 | 64 | 0.76 M$ |
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
4/ 100
Low
better than 4% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
23/ 100
Below average
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
6/ 100
Low
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 215 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 0
- Shot selection
- 3
- Penalties drawn
- 87
- Puck management
- 80
Defense
- Takeaways
- 28
- Discipline
- 10
- Safe zone exits
- 17
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
| Season | Team | IQ | Off. | Def. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | SJS | 4 | 23 | 6 |
| 2024-25 | SJS | 1 | 31 | 2 |
| 2023-24 | EDM | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 2022-23 | EDM | 14 | 65 | 5 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.9
wins above replacement
0.6 to 1.5 — 90% interval
76 of 325 defensemen
+5.0 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -1.4
- EV defense
- +3.2
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- +2.7
- Shooting
- -0.1
- Penalties
- -1.4
- Average → replacement
- +2.0
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | SJS | 53 | 0.9 | 0.6 to 1.5 | 76/325 |
| 2024-25 | SJS | 51 | 0.3 | -0.1 to 0.6 | 136/314 |
| 2023-24 | EDM | 78 | 1.0 | 0.4 to 1.6 | 49/316 |
| 2022-23 | EDM | 36 | 0.2 | -0.0 to 0.5 | 120/334 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 112.8 km/h2nd percentileleague avg. 139.7 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 33.6 km/h38th percentileleague avg. 34.0 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 222nd percentileleague avg. 8
- Offensive zone time
- 35.6 %0th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 37.2 km29th percentileleague avg. 56.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.53 km31st percentileleague avg. 4.98 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 37.9 %3rd percentileleague avg. 42.8 %
- Neutral zone time
- 19.1 %92nd percentileleague avg. 16.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 45.3 %4th percentileleague avg. 40.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 314th percentile | 049th percentile | 0.0 %27th percentile |
| High danger | 051st percentile | 084th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Mid range | 136th percentile | 073rd percentile | 0.0 %50th percentile |
| Long range | 222nd percentile | 077th percentile | 0.0 %67th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
LAK
NJD
MTL
CAR
SEA
NYR
PIT
TBLVincent Desharnais: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Vincent Desharnais have in 2026-27?
Vincent Desharnais has 0 goals and 3 points (3 assists) in 9 games in 2026-27.
How old is Vincent Desharnais?
Vincent Desharnais is 30 years old: he was born on May 29, 1996.
How tall is Vincent Desharnais, and how much does he weigh?
Vincent Desharnais is 6'7" (201 cm) and weighs 229 lb (104 kg).
Where is Vincent Desharnais from?
Canada: Vincent Desharnais was born in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
What team does Vincent Desharnais play for?
Vincent Desharnais plays for the Washington Capitals in the NHL, at D, wearing number 73.
Is Vincent Desharnais injured?
Yes: Vincent Desharnais is on injured reserve (abdomen). He is expected back around December 5.
How good is Vincent Desharnais?
Vincent Desharnais produced 0.9 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 76th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 77 out of 100: very good for his position.
How much does Vincent Desharnais make?
Vincent Desharnais earns $2.0M for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 78 out of 100 (very good contract): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Vincent Desharnais's contract end?
Vincent Desharnais's contract runs through the 2029-30 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Vincent Desharnais overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 78 out of 100 (very good contract), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Vincent Desharnais a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 76th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Vincent Desharnais getting better?
Yes: his PAL rating went from 39 in 2024-25 to 77 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Vincent Desharnais played lately?
Over his last 9 games, Vincent Desharnais has 3 points (0 goals, 3 assists).
What are Vincent Desharnais's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Vincent Desharnais has 227 games, 2 goals, 27 assists and 29 points. His best season: 2023-24, with 11 points in 78 games.
Where was Vincent Desharnais drafted?
Vincent Desharnais was drafted 183rd overall (round 7) by Edmonton Oilers in 2016.
How does Vincent Desharnais perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Vincent Desharnais has 28 games and 3 points in his career. His pace (0.11 points per game) is similar to his regular-season pace (0.13).
Which player is most similar to Vincent Desharnais?
Joel Hanley: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Joel Hanley's page →Is Vincent Desharnais a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 11 points in 2026-27, or 0.20 points per game.
Does Vincent Desharnais have siblings?
Yes: his brother Alex (cited by Desharnais as a hockey-playing influence).
Is Vincent Desharnais related to anyone famous?
Yes: Jacques (father, cited by Desharnais as a hockey-playing influence).
What is Vincent Desharnais's nationality?
Vincent Desharnais is Canadian.
What awards has Vincent Desharnais won?
Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman of the Year ; Nominee for the Hockey Humanitarian Award (2019).
Where did Vincent Desharnais play before turning pro?
Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) — one season; Providence College — 2015 to 2019.
How many points is Vincent Desharnais projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 11 points in 56 games in 2026-27 (3 to 18 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Washington Capitals teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)