The San Jose Sharks already made a massive trade earlier in the season when they moved Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars. As many expected, the Sharks are sellers ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t make moves to add to their roster. And San Jose has done just that with their move involving Vincent Desharnais and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Sharks have acquired Desharnais in a trade, the Penguins have confirmed on Wednesday night. In exchange, Pittsburgh receives a fifth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. There is no retention on Desharnais’s $2 million cap hit in this deal.
This is not the first time the veteran defender has been traded this season. The Penguins initially acquired Desharnais as part of the Marcus Pettersson trade at the end of January. He has played 44 games combined between Pittsburgh and the Vancouver Canucks. Desharnais has just three assists in those games this season.
Why Sharks traded for Penguins’ Vincent Desharnais
Desharnais is not going to change San Jose’s fortunes by any means this season. However, he has provided a solid defensive track record prior to the 2024-25 campaign. In fact, he was one of the better bottom-pairing defensive defensemen in the NHL last season with the Edmonton Oilers.
However, he did not fit in with the Canucks after signing with the team in NHL Free Agency. A move to the Penguins gave him a fresh start. But with Pittsburgh seeking to get younger, a trade out of there always seemed possible.
The Sharks are an intriguing team for the veteran defender. San Jose also wants to get younger as they are working through a rebuild. However, they still need players to eat NHL ice time at this point. Unfortunately, injuries have left them quite thin, especially on the back end.
Jan Rutta was placed on injured reserve a month ago and remains out with a lower-body injury. Moreover, Henry Thrun was recently placed on injured reserve in his own right. He is dealing with an upper-body injury.
Desharnais gives the Sharks some insurance as they await Rutta and Thrun’s returns. For instance, he could slot in on the third pairing over once-superstar defender Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who has been one of the worst defensemen in the league over the last few seasons. No matter what they do, Desharnais gives San Jose some flexibility as they manage injuries ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
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