SAN JOSE – Perhaps few Sharks players needed some time away from hockey this summer more than defenseman Vincent Desharnais.

Less than a year after reaching the Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers, Desharnais was dealt twice in a five-week span before the NHL trade deadline in March and missed the last 11 games of the year with an upper body injury.

Although Desharnais received positive feedback from the Sharks coaching staff in exit interviews in April, he still needed a reset after his most challenging season as a professional.

“When the season ended, I was in a kind of tough place mentally,” said Desharnais, who skated in the Sharks’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday at SAP Center in the preseason opener for both teams.

“I took a lot of time off in the wood

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