Philip Broberg appears to be on the right-side with Mattias Ekholm, leaving another position open.
Vincent Desharnais hopes to capitalize on his 36 games in the NHL with that opening. In the long run, he may be a lock for the 7th defender position, and he will no doubt gain more minutes as the season goes on.
Ben Gleason, however, will be a formidable opponent for Desharnais, as Gleason played a total of 23:53 against the Seattle Kraken, while Desharnais was only on the ice for 16:51.
Gleason may have the advantage right now, since he is a left-handed defenseman, but that doesn't make him an automatic lock. It is crucial that Desharnais shows up, or else his career will be short-lived.