[Montreal Canadiens] Prospect Profile: David Desharnais - Fantasy Sports Forums

ericdaoust · #1 01-25-2011, 08:26 PM

This season has certainly been an interesting one for the Montreal Canadiens. A rash of major injuries and some bi-polar play from several key players have turned the campaign into an emotional rollercoaster. But with such misfortune comes opportunity for new players to step up and make their mark at the highest level. One such player has been David Desharnais, an undersized forward that was recently promoted from the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and has made some significant contributions in Montreal.

First, let's take a quick look at Desharnais' background. He was undrafted primarily due to his size (5-6, 177 pounds) but had a stellar junior career with Chicoutimi of the QMJHL. His point patterns in four years were the following: 51, 97, 118 and 108. The total is 374 points over 262 games.

Following his junor years he played one year with Cincinnati of the ECHL. Again, he posted some outstanding offensive numbers (106 points in 68 games). He won the scoring title that year and was named league MVP, in addition to top rookie honors.

Finally in November 2008 he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Canadiens while playing with their minor league affiliate in Hamilton. He would complete his first full season in the AHL with 58 points in 78 games and the next season posted an improved 78 points in 60 games.

Finally this season Desharnais began getting the credit he deserves as he received a call-up on December 31st after posting 45 points over 35 AHL games. Over ten games at the highest level he has posted two goals and two assists. But most importantly he is showing some of the traits that show he will be a player in the NHL for years to come.

In a past article that outlined my vision of what the Canadiens might look like in three years, I labeled Desharnais as someone that could very well go the path of Ryan Shannon and Brett Sterling and falter at the NHL level. History is certainly on my side making that assessment. But what I've seen in this handful of games has been very impressive. David Desharnais really belongs in the NHL in some capacity.

His ice time has been up and down during his stay in Montreal, ranging from 8.5 minutes to 16 minutes. But despite that he has received spurts of time in both phases of special teams. A trip to Dobber Hockey's Frozen Pool section shows that Desharnais has had 1:27 on average on the power play and 43 seconds on the penalty kill. These are not monster minutes, but at least he's being used in important situations.

So what separates him from the Sterlings and the Shannons? Well, for starters, his ice time on the penalty kill despite being a rookie shows that he is defensively responsible. This opens up a lot of opportunities on the bottom two lines at the NHL level. This is what is keeping him in the NHL now.

He is a very good playmaker, and this is shown by his assist totals at the lower levels. He has good hands and can move the puck quickly. But he has a scoring touch too, as evidenced by his 27 goals over 60 games in 09-10 for Hamilton.

In terms of skating, he's above average. He has good quickness but is certainly not a burner like Scott Gomez or PK Subban. He still has the attributes to be an effective forechecker. I've seen many instances in recent games where he was able to pounce on unsuspecting defenders and steal the puck.

On the downside, his strength is an issue. He does get pushed off the puck with ease. He tries hard along the boards but his quickness and tenacity are his only chance of coming out with the puck. He has to want it more than the other guy.

Despite the size issue I don't see any reason why David Desharnais can't be a permanent NHL player. His production at every level proves that he deserves an extended look at the highest level. On top of that he possesses the skills and the desire to earn a roster spot on an NHL team. He's not a "top six or bust" player. There is a lot more grey area when it comes to predicting his future in the NHL but that is a good thing because he can play in the bottom six and work his way onto a scoring line.

And now for some predictions:
2010-11: 6-12-18 in 43 games
2011-12: 15-25-40
2012-13: 20-30-50

Any feedback is welcome and appreciated!

angus · #2 01-27-2011, 12:12 AM

Fantastic read - never discount the undersized player with an oversized heart.

ericdaoust · #3 01-27-2011, 04:59 PM

Thanks Angus. It's easy to just assume he's the next failed little guy but his positional play is excellent and he has the desire to overcome his shortcomings. The fact that he has been getting significant special teams time under Jacques Martin in the first dozen NHL games of the season is pretty remarkable.

duballstar014 · #4 02-04-2011, 01:27 PM

Beautiful. I invested in Desharnais shortly after he was called up. He was on my radar at our draft last summer and I'm very happy he was still available now AND is getting NHL time.

It will be interesting to see how his short term future shapes up as we approach the trade deadline. Sometimes people get boxed out no matter how well you've played recently and I certainly hope that's not the case.

Nice read eric!

ericdaoust · #5 02-05-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duballstar014

Beautiful. I invested in Desharnais shortly after he was called up. He was on my radar at our draft last summer and I'm very happy he was still available now AND is getting NHL time.

It will be interesting to see how his short term future shapes up as we approach the trade deadline. Sometimes people get boxed out no matter how well you've played recently and I certainly hope that's not the case.

Nice read eric!

Thanks!

He might hit some roadblocks in the short term but he is definitely in a different class than your typical undersized one-dimensional player. He might even have to tag along with a different team to get a true chance, but he belongs on a roster in the NHL somewhere, especially with the trend of having three scoring lines on a team.

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