Penguins
BIG Defense and Penguins Changes; Desharnais has No Pretense (+)

CRANBERRY — As Pittsburgh Penguins forward Blake Lizotte skated past newly acquired defenseman Vincent Desharnais, the stunning contrast in stature was not just noticeable but comically so.
The picture makes Desharnais look eight feet tall. In fairness, he is not quite that large, and Lizotte is about 5-foot-8, but at 6-foot-7, he is one of the largest Penguins defensemen in the organization’s history and the largest since Hall Gill patrolled the blue line about 15 years ago.
At 28 years old, he should be coming into his prime as a defenseman. However, after being a teeth-rattling part of the Edmonton Oilers’ run to Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, he signed a two-year bargain deal with Vancouver that pays him $2 million this season and next. However, that was not working out well for either side.