SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Vincent Desharnais from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday in exchange for a 2028 fifth-round draft pick.
Desharnais, 28, has played with both the Penguins and Vancouver Canucks this season, appearing in a combined 44 games with three assists and averaging 15:37 in ice time.
Desharnais, a right-shot defenseman, is in the first year of a two-year, $4 million contract that carries a $2 million cap hit. In 158 career NHL games with Edmonton, Vancouver and Pittsburgh, Desharnais has 19 points and 123 minutes.
The only other right-shot defensemen on the Sharks’ active roster right now are Timothy Liljegren and Jack Thompson. Jan Rutta, a pending unrestricted free agent, is on injured reserve.
Earlier Wednesday, the Sharks traded Vitek Vanecek to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers for forward Patrick Giles. The NHL trade deadline is Friday and more Sharks players could be on the move.
The Sharks play the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Thursday night to end a seven-game road trip. Desharnais, though, is not expected to join the team in Denver. The Sharks’ next game is Saturday at home against the New York Islanders.
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