The hockey world was graced with a mini Trade Deadline in the late hours of Friday, the eve of a one-week trade freeze that went into effect on Saturday. There were only two moves, both swapping draft picks for roster players, but for the Montreal Canadiens this mini Deadline could be one to remember. They won a sweepstakes for Los Angeles Kings center Phillip Danault – a strong, veteran center who they were able to land at a fairly negligible price.
The Canadiens only gave up a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for Danault. It was one of two second-rounders Montreal held in next year’s draft. The other originally belonged to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who sit dead last in the Metropolitan Division through the first two months of the season. Their pick could end up close to the first round – unless their Friday trade turns things around – while Montreal’s own pick could land near the other end of the second-round.
Another pick moved will mean just a bit more space for Montreal’s current prospects to find their ways. The Canadiens sit in playoff position despite carrying the youngest roster in the league this season. They’ve received major impacts from young players like Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, and Oliver Kapanen. Rookies Jacob Fowler, Adam Engstrom, Owen Beck, and Florian Xhekaj; with even more top prospects, like Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky, soon behind them. The Canadiens won’t have the space to continue adding multiple top draft picks to the shelves every season.
Instead, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes leveraged the surplus value to acquire what should be a great lineup piece. Danault has struggled to score this season. He scored five points, all assists, in 30 games on a Kings offense that has scored the second-fewest goals in the league so far. But the 32-year-old centerman has managed back-to-back seasons with 22 goals over the last two years. He boasts a career-high of 54 points, set in the 2022-23 season, his second year with the Kings. On top of commendable scoring, Danault posted a positive plus-minus in four of his five years in Los Angeles – fortifying a reputation as one of the league’s better, and more reliable, defensive-centers.
Before his veteran days in L.A., Danault carved out his first NHL roles in the Canadiens’ roster. He was originally a first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks but joined Montreal in a move that worked out tremendously well for the Canadiens. They acquired Danault and the draft pick used to select Alexander Romanov in exchange for sending Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise to the Blackhakws. Danault was an immediate impact for Montreal, scoring 40 points and playing in all 82 games during his rookie season in 2016-17. He averaged third-line minutes in his first year and grew into a stout second-line role over the next four seasons.
Danault ended his first tenure with the Canadiens with a top-10 finish in Selke Trophy voting in three consecutive seasons. He had one more top-10 finish, and two more seasons receiving votes, in five years with the Kings.
Reliable defensive-centers often have a more level aging curve than their high-scoring counterparts. Danault has struggled to find his offense in L.A. but should look much more at home in a Canadiens’ offense that plays with much more pace. Montreal already wields a Selke Trophy-hopeful in top-line center Nick Suzuki. Now, they’ll fortify their two-way game even more with Danault, which should provide a stable backing for Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky to focus on their scoring, and rookie Kapanen to continue easing into a role.
More than the stability, and surefire penalty killing role, that he’ll offer the lineup – Danault could be invaluable as Montreal looks to promote more star prospects to the NHL. University of Michigan star Hage has improved in every season and seems close to breaking into the pro flight, but there’s no doubt that he’ll face a tough physical challenge once he gets there.
With Danault’s addition, Montreal can be confident in their depth down the middle for the foreseeable future. Suzuki will continue in his top role, while a mix of Kapanen and Danault hold down the middle lines, until Hage, Beck, and Aatos Koivu are ready to carry on the next era of Canadiens hockey. Montreal was able to secure that short-and-long-term security at the cost of their third-most valuable pick next year. It’s a shrewd acquisition that could prove to be an X-factor as Montreal chases their second-straight postseason berth.
Photo courtesy of Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports.
Have to agree. Habs took advantage of a hurting team who should gave started their rebuild a year ago but couldn’t because Kopitar has another year and Doughty is still perceived to be a star.
Rebuild? Kings had 105 points last year. Their issue was between their ears. This year their players need to play better. Or maybe a new voice in the room.
The Habs needed a veteran center and a player with 5 assists only this year and who was disgruntled was just traded for a 2nd round pick and no cap retention that the Kings can use in some form of an roster upgrade. Who took advantage of who is very subjective here. Objectively as a lifelong King fan I can agree that a tear down could have done some good but with their defensive identity always being near the top of the league, unfortunately that was never going to happen until after Kopi and Doughty are gone as you referenced and even then with their defensive identity current leadership it will probably be delayed longer than it should. Just stuck with watching low event boring hockey until something changes
Another interesting take. Danault hasn’t even been playing for the Kings, even when he was in the lineup, so the Kings aren’t missing anything this year with his departure. The fact they got anything for a guy that obviously wasn’t going to play for them again is a win for them.
The Kings are only three points behind the Habs, and while the Kings are definitely lacking something, I would argue the Canadiens are, as well.
This is an interesting take. So it’s a good trade because Danault used to be good? If you were basing this trade on what Danault has done this year, as you should, then giving up a 2nd for a guy with no goals who was requesting a trade is not a good move, and if the Kings had done this same move it would be panned.
The Foegele/Danault/Moore line has an xGoals% of 57.9 over 156min together. His line was controlling the puck more often than not which is what is needed in MTL since any line that doesn’t include Suzuki is struggling in this regard. The Slafkovski/Kapanen/Demidov line is below 40% and that is our 2nd line.
Also, Danault had 8pts in 6 games in the last playoffs. It’s not like he has forgotten how to play hockey during the summer.
And his presence will also help relieve Suzuki of some PK duty.
Yeah. Montreal “wins big” if Danault plays well, and the 2nd rounder doesn’t turn out to be a solid player.
I’m having a flashback to when the Bruins traded Johnny Boychuk to the Islanders for a 2nd rounder. Boy, the fans were livid, and were ready to string management up by their heels. Whereupon Boychuk had about three good years for the Isles, and then, as players in their thirties do, rapidly faded out.
That scorned second rounder turned into nine seasons of Brandon Carlo. Brandon Carlo was traded for Fraser Minten and either a top-five protected first rounder next year, or a open first rounder in 2027. (Boychuk, meanwhile, has been retired for six seasons now.)
Sweepstakes??? for a 4th line center….hahaha
Not a 4C
Fanboys like Foley should never attempt to be writers…it just comes across as ridiculous drivel.
By all means submit your resume and replace him.
Didn’t need t he reminder of Bowman being fleeced in 2016.
Ummm … is Gabriel seeing the same player we’re seeing out there? Because I’m seeing a guy whose offense has been declining every year since his first with the Kings. His physicality is diminished, his takeaway ratio is ghastly, his offense is non-existent, his Corsi/Fenwick are tanking, even his faceoff numbers aren’t what they used to be. If he was all that much of a “steal,” you would think that a Kings team both in a tough playoff battle and badly needing an effective third line center would *keep* Danault … right?
Danault is going to help a team that is 29th in team defense.
Turcotte has stepped up the past couple of weeks! He may only have 8 points, but averages less than 10 minutes a game. He boasts a 56.3% on Face-offs.
So they were Saying Danault had the “flu” for the last 4 games (I think it was 4). Was that true or was he being sat out (voluntarily or otherwise).
Allegedly had the Flu for 3 and didn’t want to fly him out for the last game on the trip with a potential trade in the works!
Yes, a non-scoring center for one of their top lines is on every team’s wish list this Christmas…I mean seriously?