New York Rangers: Why the David Desharnais experiment is failing

New York Rangers center David Desharnais has failed to be a difference maker when in the lineup. However, some of that shortcoming may not be his fault.

When the New York Rangers signed David Desharnais, he meant to provide stability. Their center depth had all but vanished with the departures of Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg. However, that stability has not been seen in Desharnais’ game.

As a veteran coming off of two straight injury-shortened seasons, his upside is limited at best. Nonetheless, Desharnais has proven himself as an effective two-way forward with a proficiency at the faceoff dot. During his best offensive seasons, the 5′ 7″ center also supplied a generous source of offense.

Lack of consistent ice time

This year, when Desharnais is on the ice he is hovering right around his career averages in zone deployment. Across 264+ minutes of ice-time, Desharnais has seen 55.5% of his faceoffs in the offensive zone. However, his ability to stick in the lineup is being hindered.

In fact, through the Rangers first 26 games, Desharnais has found himself a healthy scratch on a few occasions. During those games, head coach Alain Vigneault has opted to start Paul Carey in his place. Without Mika Zibanejad’s recent concussion symptoms, that press-box number could have been higher.

Now, Desharnais is moving up in the lineup and is averaging over 14:35TOI. That number may seem relatively small, however, it dwarfs his averages prior to ZIbanejad’s absence. In the two games prior to the injury, Desharnais skated for 6:46TOI and 10:12TOI.

In his 23 appearances so far this season, Desharnais has registered three goals and nine assists. Unsurprisingly, the best of his production has come while playing alongside some of the Rangers’ top wingers.

Line combinations holding him back

During his two career-best seasons (2013-2015) in Montreal, Desharnais produced 52 and 48 points, respectively. Those seasons came while playing alongside a group of the Canadiens’ best possession drivers.

His most common linemates in those two seasons were Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. While on the ice together, that trio carried possession at an above-average rate, sporting a 56% corsi-for%. Not to mention, Pacioretty is among the league’s best at shooting the puck, which aided Desharnais’ career-high 36 assists in the 2013-14 season.

As a member of the New York Rangers, Desharnais has been on the ice most often with wingers J.T. Miller and Jimmy Vesey. Conversely to his linemates in Montreal, these two are best known for their knack for exchanging high-quality chances at both ends of the ice. This trio is losing the possession battle through 81+ minutes together, carrying the play with just a 44CF%.

Their game plan is clear, outperform the opposition before they can capitalize themselves. Unfortunately, this is not a recipe for success for a player like Desharnais.

Putting Desharnais in a position to succeed

What he needs are two possession driving wingers to supplement his shifty playmaking ability. As one of the Rangers’ top faceoff men, Desharnais should fit in perfectly with Vigneault’s set plays off the draw. This is where a good head coach would evaluate his roster, and find the holes in their gameplan.

There is no need to search for center replacements on the trade market. Instead, they should focus on finding linemates that best suit Desharnais’ game. That would not only result in elevated play from the 31-year old center, but also the players around him.

Next: New York Rangers: Expectations vs reality with coaching styles

GM Jeff Gorton has shown his ability to capitalize on low-profile acquisitions. The signing of David Desharnais is no different, there have just been flaws in lineup execution. With more consistent ice time and more efficient linemates, there is no reason that Desharnais can prove to be a difference maker in the second half of the season.