by Christopher Nardella, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
POINTE CLAIRE, QC. — On Tuesday morning David Desharnais skated along with his teammates at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard. Desharnais and P.K. Subban were wearing light blue no-contact jerseys as they both work to recover from their injuries.
Few players have been as polarizing as Desharnais in Montreal: on the receiving end of superfluous praise as well as sharp vitriol through his five seasons in Quebec’s hockey mecca. The former ECHL scoring leader never far from criticism, both unwarranted and justified, has been the facsimile of the Canadiens struggles this season with his pre-injury Californian-esque dry spell so execrable that he was moved up the lineup. Whether it’s his embodiment of an insecurity pervasive among the Canadiens fan base, the blatant mismanagement of a player constantly berated with negativity or his own failure expedited by his situation, David Desharnais’ state in the Habs organization is certainly a compelling one.
For the majority of his career as a member of his boyhood team, Desharnais has been the subject of spurn from certain members of the Canadiens fan base partially due in part due to his inhibition of the team’s prized offensive possession. Prior to his injury, Desharnais’s presence, him being in favour with Michel Therrien, inhibited the development of Alex Galchenyuk. The large majority of the Canadiens fan base has the idealistic but justifiable perception that Galchenyuk is the answer down the middle. However, a subsequent disdain towards Desharnais appears due to him taking up a prime spot on the top line.
https://twitter.com/Matt88x/status/691800878743945217
As much as the Canadiens have spoken about taking steps towards increasing their size, they’ve also acquired Paul Byron and Philip Danault this season to go along with the likes of Daniel Carr and Sven Andrighetto who joined the team this season. Being perpetually a team brimming with undersized players over the years has been a thorn in the side of fans. Such is the case with the Laurier-Station, Quebec native who is listed at a very generous 5-feet-7-inches and 170 pounds. Despite his previous success, It is understandable that a small player like Desharnais, occupying the number one centre position, is a target for criticism from the fanbase.
@xCoreyDx @AllHabs anyone who knows hockey knows dd is no longer nhl caliber. Only the fool therrien can't see it
— LT (@eltee22) February 18, 2016
Over the past three seasons Desharnais has been a mainstay in the team’s top-five in points and assists. Now, whether that is a direct result of spending the majority of the season with Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher is up for debate. In 2013-14, the centreman was second on the team in assists, third on the team in points and had a better point per game than P.K. Subban, who was second. The next season he was fifth on the team in points with 48 and only trailed P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov in assists with 34.
To retreat back to my original point of antagonism, the previous argument unravels relatively quickly when you take a closer look at Desharnais’ stats. Since the beginning of the 2012-13 season, his percentage of secondary assists is second in the NHL at 47 per cent (49 out of 105.) That’s the team’s second highest percentage behind P.K. Subban, who is currently fifth in the NHL in assists. However that stat has a different connotation when it comes to defenceman as it is attributed, at least in part, to zone exits that result in goals. The proposition that secondary assists are somehow inconsequential is incorrect. However, there is something to be said for a player who banks almost half of his assists in a secondary role.
When quoting DD's point totals be mindful of the high %age of 2nd assists. Primary point % 2014-15 from Puckalytics pic.twitter.com/4VNsvSrd8I
— All Habs (Canadiens) (@AllHabs) February 11, 2016
When sentences are uttered so frequently such as ‘The Canadiens can’t win a Cup with David Desharnais as their number one centreman’ it is often misconstrued as the player not having much value in another setting (which was proven to be untrue this season.) The problem is that players such as Lars Eller and Michael McCarron have much more value at the third line centre position. When Desharnais isn’t going offensively, which has been frequent this season, he doesn’t provide much else, whereas Eller brings defensive viability and some physicality. McCarron brings aggression, intimidation and a needed presence.
With the Eller’s versatility to play the wing, and Mike McCarron and Philip Danault being groomed to play down the middle, it seems that Desharnais’ days as a member of the Montreal Canadiens are numbered. Desharnais has one-year remaining on his contract with a $3.5 million cap hit that sits eighth in highest average annual value on the Canadiens.
@lescooter @AllHabs Have young players such as McCarron, Andrighetto, Carr, & Matteau made players such as Flynn, Mitchell, DD, disposable?
— Matt Smith (@Snakebite350) March 14, 2016
Whether it comes via buyout or trade, it would be tough to see the diminutive centreman on the roster come next season. The emergence of McCarron as a member of the Habs’ top-nine, Daniel Carr, Jacob De La Rose and Sven Andrighetto vying for a spot next season and the superfluous acquisitions of the likes of Danault, Stefan Matteau, Paul Byron, Lucas Lessio and Mike Brown have made not only made David Desharnais expendable, but unnecessary.
Yes on third or fourth line
3.5 mill for a 3rd or 4th liner is a little much isn’t it?
I see him getting bought out this summer
To many small players
According to David Tota no one has !!! ;)
Hopefully not!
Nope but thanks for you time here. Best of luck
NO
WHY NOT Team HAVE Enough Injured PLAYERS
hes done
He’s a matchup nightmare for opposing teams with his hands and speed. Good Faceoff man.
Easily one of the hardest 3rd line centre assignments for the other team and he’s responsible both ways. 2nd wave PP threat.
Wow your on the good stuff aren’t you cause he is not good defensively at all. Be should never be on the power play and with the coach we have he gets excessive minutes he doesn’t deserve
Satire?
Please no more small players we have enough
If the coach doesn’t get fired he will be first line center next year
It would be better if we could trade him but I doubt we will
No
Nope!
DD sucks. Belongs in the circus.
I hop not
No No No No No No No No No No
Only if Therrien and Bergevin are still around.
Hope not
No
We just recently brought in a couple more French guys with no talent….so who knows
Noooooooooooooooo!!!! ðððð
Please no!!
Worst floater on the team! Seeya
no but eller is going to be our star next year–lets all throw DD under the bus while we give Me. Perfect the red carpet
No
Davey is a fan favourite.
Hes had a few ups and downs but has performed well. Still trying to figure out how patch has been a 30+ goal scorer yet such a lazy skater/shooter. Forgive me!
My thoughts exactly everyone is so quick to blame DD but patches is a terrible captain and he’s a floater
Remember that 60 point season he had, pepper ridge farms does
Absolutely not!
No.
We have to get bigger
Hope not
Let’s all hope he’s played his last game as a Hab
I like DD, just hadn’t had the correct system to play in and that is down to the coach, if no MT then yeah give him another shot, if MT stays then NO because he will be handcuffed in what he can do
Nice
He is there because management wants him there and his team mates love him so I wish the so called called fans and the cheapshot know-it-all writers who inhabit this website would shut their cakeholes and let the people who actually know Hockey conduct their business.Corey what’s his name’s comments were despicable and how he remains a writer is a mystery.Not so nice when it’s coming your way is it ! Only intelligent thing on this page is Paul Nunn’s comment !
As water boy
No !!! It’s time to move on
Hope not.
The Habs don’t have a future with this coach.
No he’s going
He does, fist line center for the Brampton Beast.
Probably the best hand eye coordination and hockey sense player on the habs roster right now, but when you only weigh 170 lbs and measure 5’9″ and your facing zdeno chara or shea webber you can dippsy doodle all you want ,you ain’t going anywhere’s ,too bad the habs have too many of them ,that ‘s why we missed the playoofs this year !!!!!
It is time to go DD.
no
I hope so Word need players that play hard every game like Gallagher, Chucky Mc Carron P.k.
If DD goes please send Eller with him
I think theres a lot of habs players that could be on the move. The way theese guys are playing is completley unacceptable. Obviously there planning big things if their gonna sit Price for a whole year
Yes as a third center. I prefair him over Eller. Danault will be in the right chair on a fourth line and McCarron still a few things to work on so he better play a lot of good minutes in the AHL.
I hope not
Only the best playmaker on team.
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