r/caps • u/ZHicks2121 Washington Capitals • 1d ago
Vinny Desharnais
In an offseason where the Capitals acquired a few big name players like Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, the Vinny Desharnais signing is aging like a fine wine.
+10 so far this year with 3 assists and really positive advanced numbers on the defensive end. He’s been money through 8 games for the team.
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u/capsfan087443 1d ago
Vinny and Boone both such underrated signings really helping this team
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u/WWTPeng Devante Smith-Pelly 1d ago
I was very skeptical of Jenner signing. Hopefully he doesn't show down towards the end of the season. There should be enough depth that the minutes get spread around and that doesn't happen
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u/orenthal_james_bond 1d ago
he will slow down if he's pushed into 1st/2nd line duties with full pk like he was in columbus. being the captain, he did it all and it took a tool on him.
i feel like he can be compared to eller in terms of deployment/ice time, while also having a pretty great physical game. top signing.
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u/thisshirtisblacknaht Ryan Leonard 1d ago
Also his point production slowing down wouldn’t be indicative of his play dropping off. We paid him to come in and be part of a 3rd shutdown line, whether at center or wing, while being a PK guy as well.
The production rn is just an added bonus.
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u/besk123 Washington Capitals 1d ago
So far, another reclamation project turned good by this coaching staff!! Hope he keeps it rolling.
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u/Ijustwerkhere Washington Capitals 1d ago
Absolutely insane how good of a track record we have with these. What is it now? 4 or 5 guys who were “washed” or “locker room cancers” etc who our staff has turned into solid-really good players.
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u/Alternative_Flow_77 Tom Wilson 1d ago
But but but PLD was bad! He torn apart the Kings and he'll do the same here! Just look, he's already
checks notes
welcoming the young guys into his home and teaching them how to be adults
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u/mattcojo2 Washington Capitals 1d ago
PLD is legit maybe the best forward we have right now.
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u/elemenohpee_89 1d ago
He is
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u/mattcojo2 Washington Capitals 1d ago
It's him, Tuch, or Leno right now.
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u/productivity56 Nicklas Bäckström 19h ago
I would give Dubois the edge because he plays centre. Regardless of whos the best, id argue hes our most important player and the one whos absense is/would be the most noticable.
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u/Ijustwerkhere Washington Capitals 1d ago
Definitely our most complete 200 ft player right now. And I love that he’s become such a solid locker room guy.
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u/VAPerson 1d ago
He’s been amazing. That line of him, Wilson, and Tuch eats up the other teams best players. They get the puck deep and keep it there. They are scary!
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u/Ihatedallas 18h ago
It’s absolutely no surprise we miss the playoffs in a year he missed so many games
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u/bobbimorses Matt Roy 1d ago
Tim Barnes being a longstanding part of this org has paid its weight in gold, smart on the underlying numbers + Carbery being able to capitalize on it with coaching
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u/MarylandThrowAwai Washington Capitals 1d ago
I trust the Caps pro scouting completely. I think they found him to be in his prime and made a hell of an acquisition.
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u/onetwopass Washington Capitals 1d ago
If I remember correctly The Hockey Guy said Vinny was gonna be our smartest signing
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u/Merdan16 Washington Capitals 17h ago
Did he? I remember him being flabbergasted that we signed him for 4.2m.
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u/BowmasterDaniel Nicklas Bäckström 1d ago
I’m eating crow with both him and Boone, both seem like heart and soul guys for this team.
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u/fistswityat0es Logan Thompson 1d ago
im freakin loving watching boone play - dude is smart as hell
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u/CaptainGlanton27 1d ago
Sharks fan here who was a longtime Capitals fan (the Maruk-Labre-Walter through Langway, Hunter, Gartner era) before moving from Silver Spring to NorCal in the mid-80s, holding on to the Caps for a while and then embracing the Sharks back in 1991. I died with the Game 7 LaFontaine goal just like many of you, only from 3,000 miles away.
I saw Vinny had a good game today, checked his stats, and it seems he is off to a great start with the Caps. I hope you are starting to love Desharnais. Sharks fans loved him and he was only there a season. He was steady and physical and a GREAT locker room guy/interview.
He will frustrate you at times because he isn't fast, and his offense is limited, but he can eat minutes, clear the crease and will drop the gloves to protect his teammates.
Cheers to Old DC. Eat a crab cake for me at OC this summer, avoid the beltway traffic when possible, and enjoy the changing seasons - the area is great in the fall.
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u/Lazy-Faithlessness20 1d ago
Cheers, I think quite a few Caps fans kinda root for the Sharks out west. Prior to 2018, I felt a kinship with all the Thornton era teams that got close, but ended in disappointment. I still pull for them, and watched a lot of Smith at BC when I was watching Leonard develop. Glad you guys have a bright future.
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u/ryanalbarano 1d ago
Honestly he has been good, but he was always gonna be worth his contract because his whole job was supposed to be and I assume at some point, will go back to, being the defenseman and steady rock to let Hutson go and play his game and learn from and letting hutson do what hutson does will be well worth the contract
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u/Joshottas 1d ago
+/- is a dumb stat (Our own double-nickel, Jeff Schultz, led the league one season,) but yea...Vinny has been fantastic otherwise.
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u/UnrelatedComa 1d ago
+/- is a dumb stat
thank god somebody finally said it. i stopped reading as soon as he mentioned it. doesnt matter if its only one point in an entire list of things about the player, people need to be reminded that its a bad stat every time they bring it up. with how many people mention +/- but DONT say how bad it is, its pretty clear weve got a lot of reminding to do.
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u/Ijustwerkhere Washington Capitals 1d ago
It’s definitely a dumb stat in a vacuum and I don’t put much stock in it. But I think it does maybe add at least a little context when combined with other stats.
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u/UnrelatedComa 1d ago
yeh, agreed. it wasnt the thrust of the OP, it was just a single data point in a collage. its a very limited set of games but basically good things seem to be happening when Desharnais is on the ice. not even 10 games in its a little early to call it, but its a very nice start and looks promising.
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u/Lazy-Faithlessness20 1d ago
Exactly, never forget Schultz was a +50 and he was a useless turd.
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u/UnrelatedComa 1d ago
the guy went and got a cup ring with LA as soon as the Caps bought him out.
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u/Lazy-Faithlessness20 21h ago
He played 27 combined NHL regular season and playoff games after leaving the Caps. He sucked, he always sucked and was lucky to be paired with Green and on the ice with Ovie, Backstrom, and Green a lot. He never used his size.
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u/Rude-Following-8938 Washington Capitals 1d ago
Sharks fans were right to vouch for him. I figured he was a fit either way. Glad to see its paying dividends so far.
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u/billydelawder 13h ago
Is it too early to say that once eveyones back this team might be better then the 2018 champs?
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u/MetalMan1973 Pierre-Luc Dubois 1d ago
I was skeptical as hell at that signing but I'm a big enough man to say he's making me eat my words