Sharks’ Desharnais out week-to-week with upper-body injury

The San Jose Sharks are going to be without a veteran depth defenseman for a while, as head coach Ryan Warsofsky told a group of reporters including NHL.com’s Max Miller that Vincent Desharnais will be out on a week-to-week basis with his upper-body injury.

Desharnais last appeared in San Jose’s 6-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche last Wednesday, and he was placed on the team’s injured reserve list on Monday.

A 29-year-old native of Laval, Quebec, Desharnais is in his fourth season in the NHL and his second as a member of the Sharks. He’s had stints previously with the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks.

In his career, he’s appeared in 185 regular season games, recording one goal and 20 assists for 21 points on an average of 15:26 of time on ice on a per game basis. This year with the Sharks, he’s dished out two assists in his 20 appearances.

San Jose picked Desharnais up from the Penguins around last season’s trade deadline in exchange for a fifth-round pick, and he’s been a steady presence on their blue line ever since.

Desharnais has skated to a plus-1 rating so far this year, an unremarkable stat on its face, but an indication of the development the Sharks have seen from last season to this one. As the Sharks floundered around the bottom of the standings in 2024-25, no player who finished the season with the team posted a positive plus-minus.

This year, led by Macklin Celibrini and the rest of their young core, San Jose sits fourth place in the Pacific Division with a record of 13-11-3. They’re 9-4-3 on home ice, and are beginning to look like they will be a formidable team moving forward.

The Sharks host Washington on Wednesday night before embarking on a long road trip that kicks off in Dallas on Friday night before four more matchups against Eastern Conference foes next week.