Stuck with an aging roster as he introduced younger faces, Desjardins tried to keep the team competitive behind the bench and could not get it back to the playoffs.
That sounds like his current situation as interim coach of the Kings, but it describes Desjardins’ final two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. So it’s understandable that Desjardins looks back on that time with equal parts gratefulness and closure as he prepares to play his former team twice in the next four days, starting Saturday at Staples Center.
“There’s still guys on that team that I’ve certainly appreciated how hard they play and what they do,” Desjardins said.