Hurricanes Reportedly Tried To Swap Kotkaniemi For Danault
In a recent episode of Oilersnation Everyday, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on a recent trade that didn’t go through. Pagnotta suggested that before ultimately dealing him to the Montreal Canadiens, the Los Angeles Kings had conversations regarding Phillip Danault with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Even more fascinating about Pagnotta’s report is that the Hurricanes wanted to include former third-overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the package for Danault. The Kings were reportedly less turned off by Kotkaniemi’s $4.82MM salary than they were by the five years remaining on his contract.
Presently, the savings would have been negligible at best. Kotkaniemi is earning roughly $680K less than Danault for this year and next, which wouldn’t even have been enough for Los Angeles to recall another player making the league minimum salary if they needed. Additionally, since Kotkaniemi’s contract runs three years longer than Danault’s, the Kings would have added around $14.5MM in future costs.
There isn’t much separation in their offensive contributions either, despite Danault’s disappointing start to the year. Kotkaniemi has two goals and six points in 20 games for the Hurricanes this season, whereas Danault registered five assists in 30 games before the trade. Furthermore, Danault has the edge in faceoff percentage and on-ice save percentage at even strength, which are critical metrics for supposed middle-six centers.
All that suggests that the Hurricanes were merely looking to include Kotkaniemi in what would have been a larger package. Carolina doesn’t own their second-round pick this season, but could have attached next year’s second-rounder, or even one of their additional thirds, in a package with Kotkaniemi.
Still, the scrapped trade for Danault is at the very least indicative of how the Hurricanes view Kotkaniemi. As the upper limit of the salary cap continues to rise and Carolina keeps most of their core on relatively team-friendly contracts, Kotkaniemi’s deal isn’t as much of a drain as it has been in years past. However, given the value he provides, or lack thereof, it’s unsurprising to see a competitive team like the Hurricanes looking to move him for an upgrade.
Any deal involving Kotkaniemi will likely be for another underperforming player, similar to Danault’s situation in Los Angeles. Despite not living up to his draft selection, he’s only 25 years old, and some teams may believe they’ll have a chance to squeeze the last bit of development out of him.
Canadiens Win Big In Re-Acquisition Of Phillip Danault
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.
Canadiens Acquire Phillip Danault
A familiar face has returned to Montreal, as the Canadiens have announced that they have acquired Kings forward Phillip Danault in exchange for the Blue Jackets’ 2026 second-round pick.
Los Angeles finds a new home for Danault, just an hour before the holiday roster freeze kicks in. The Kings had been examining trade options for the veteran middleman over the past few weeks amid one of the more difficult offensive stretches of his career. In 30 games this season, he’s yet to score a goal and has only mustered five assists.
Defensive acumen was always the highlight of the 32-year-old’s game, though. That hasn’t trailed off at all, with the 6’1″ pivot still managing a +3 rating in tough deployment despite the lack of offensive production going through him on the ice thus far. The paucity of goal-scoring also shouldn’t be conflated with a lack of trying. He’s averaging 2.93 shot attempts per game, slightly below his career average but far from a career-low.
The Kings were left with something of an excess of down-the-middle depth, too. Moving Quinton Byfield back to center had shifted Danault to a third-line role at even strength after shouldering duties as L.A.’s second-line center behind Anže Kopitar ever since his arrival in Hollywood in free agency in 2021. The Habs, who have long been looking to add an impact top-nine center as their rebuild draws to a close, were in even more dire need of help down the middle after losing center options Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook to injuries.
They won’t find the offensive needle-mover they were looking for in Danault, but he’s still a meaningful upgrade in the No. 2 slot behind captain Nick Suzuki over rookie Oliver Kapanen, at least in terms of two-way play. Assuming he is deployed there by head coach Martin St. Louis and gets extensive playing time with Calder Trophy candidate Ivan Demidov, Danault’s point production should come back alive.
Danault’s inclusion should also provide a meaningful boost to the Habs’ underlying numbers. Kapanen and Demidov have controlled 49.1% of expected goals with Newhook on their left flank and a horrid 38% with Juraj Slafkovsky in that slot at 5-on-5 this season. Danault hasn’t recorded a sub-50 xGF% since his rookie season, split between Chicago and Montreal back in 2015-16.
Aside from the obvious fit, as underscored by the Habs’ reported interest, it’s a feel-good story to reunite Montreal with its top center during their last deep playoff run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. That was the last of Danault’s six seasons in Montreal during his first run there, often used as their top-line anchor alongside Brendan Gallagher, including a career-high 41 assists in the 2018-19 season. He was top 10 in Selke Trophy voting in each of his final three seasons for the Habs and recorded 194 points in 360 games for them.
He’s now set to add to that total as the Habs only need to part ways with one of two second-rounders they were ticketed to hold in next year’s draft. They retain their own selection, parting ways with a pick they acquired from Columbus in the Patrik Laine deal.
The Kings won’t be enthused with the return. Danault is cost-controlled through next season at $5.5MM, and L.A. was hoping to make any trade a player-for-player swap rather than taking back futures. Nonetheless, it was becoming clear the Kings wanted a quick resolution, short of Danault outright asking for a trade, giving themselves time to flip the pick for a replacement on the other side of the roster freeze if they so choose.
PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed significantly to this article.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Trade Market Notes: Sherwood, Marchment, Danault
The trade market for Vancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood is beginning to materialize and will likely continue growing leading up to the trade deadline. According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning have “kicked the tires” on Sherwood.
Given his perceived value, especially in the postseason, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Sherwood’s market grow to 15 to 20 teams. The middle-six winger has scored 32 goals and 57 points in 111 games with Vancouver, averaging 15:41 of ice time while totalling a whopping 608 hits.
He’s remarkably affordable for what he provides, too. Especially for teams like the Bruins, Lightning, Senators, and Stars, who are close to the upper limit of the salary cap, Sherwood’s $1.5MM salary is easily absorbable.
Other notes on the trade market:
- Sherwood is far from the only middle-six winger that is receiving interest. Speaking on the NHL’s Coast to Coast, insider Frank Seravalli shared that Seattle Kraken forward Mason Marchment is generating traction on the market and may even move before the holiday roster freeze. Unlike Sherwood, Marchment isn’t as affordable ($4.5MM) and is having a disappointing year, scoring four goals and 13 points in 29 games. Still, he’s coming off a four-year run with the Florida Panthers and Stars, where he scored 74 goals and 178 points in 265 games.
- Despite currently owning the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings have the fifth-worst offense in the league, averaging 2.55 GF/G. With a need for goal scoring, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period suggests that the team is attempting to use Phillip Danault to address that need. Still, at face value, the idea doesn’t make much sense. Few rebuilding clubs would require a 32-year-old center, and contending teams would be hard-pressed to part with their goal scorers, especially for a center that has registered only five assists through his first 30 games this season. The Kings would be better suited to use whatever assets they can get for Danault in a separate trade for a scoring forward.
Canadiens, Devils, Mammoth Among Teams With Interest In Phillip Danault
The Canadiens, Devils, and Mammoth are among the teams that have interest in making a deal for Kings center Phillip Danault, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports.
Montreal has long been active in the market for a second-line center, a pursuit that only intensified after long-term hopeful Alex Newhook had ankle surgery, knocking him out until March. Danault wouldn’t back nearly as much offensive punch as some other candidates, but he’s a familiar option – playing 360 games for the Habs between 2016 and 2021 as one of the most suffocating matchup centers in the league. His comfort level in a top-six support role, averaging at least 16 minutes per game for nine consecutive seasons, makes him a natural fit even as his scoring has dried up.
Danault’s contract, which expires after next season and carries a $5.5MM cap hit, won’t be an obstacle for them or most other teams. The Kings will almost certainly be taking money back in the deal as they seek rostered talent in return for Danault, with LeBrun reporting they’re unwilling to flip him for draft picks or futures.
His putrid scoring line this season, notching just five assists in 30 games with no goals, is bound to scare at least a few center-needy teams off. He’s still averaging a respectable 1.40 shots on goal per game, though, and the Kings have finished at a woeful 7.0% clip with him on the ice at 5-on-5. Some positive regression is bound to occur, particularly with the 32-year-old notching at least 40 points in each of his first four seasons with Los Angeles.
While that offensive falloff and his minutes being cut due to Quinton Byfield‘s move back to center have him looking for a change of scenery, his advanced numbers still remain some of the best on the Kings. He’s managed a +3 rating despite the lack of offensive production while receiving primarily defensive zone starts at even strength. No L.A. forward has been on the ice for fewer shots per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 than Danault at 23.9.
That makes the Devils’ interest in him likely more than just a top-six stopgap while Jack Hughes continues his rehab from a hand injury. When Hughes returns in the coming weeks, Danault would slot in as New Jersey’s third-line pivot behind Hughes and fellow Selke Trophy candidate Nico Hischier while also serving as one of their top penalty killers. It wouldn’t amount to a significant change in role compared to what Danault’s seeing now in L.A., but with only a 10-team no-trade list as part of his deal, he doesn’t have much say in the matter.
Still, he would appear as more of a redundancy behind Hischier than another scoring winger, presumably a higher priority for the Devils as their offense has slipped into the bottom half of the league amid a rough post-Thanksgiving stretch. Weaponizing their already limited cap space on Danault wouldn’t offer a truly meaningful upgrade to their top nine when healthy, especially with their new-look third line of Arseny Gritsyuk, Cody Glass, and Connor Brown posting spectacular results earlier this year.
Like New Jersey, the Mammoth have a short-term need down the middle with Logan Cooley out of commission until February. They have a younger, cheaper, in-house option with a similar archetype to Danault in Barrett Hayton. While he’s also had some offensive struggles this season, he’s still contributed more points than Danault (a 4-3–7 scoring line in 31 games) and is coming off a 20-goal year. He’s struggled in the faceoff dot at 47.8%, though, indicating they may be planning on shifting him to the wing if they do pick up Danault once Cooley is back in the fold.
Image courtesy of David Gonzales-Imagn Images.
Kings Exploring Change-Of-Scenery Options With Phillip Danault
On today’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Los Angeles Kings are exploring a change-of-scenery trade with center Phillip Danault. Additionally, Friedman suggested that Danault would be open to the idea of playing for a different organization.
There’s no question that the Kings have gotten a different version of Danault this year. In the four years following the summer of 2021, when the middle-six center signed a six-year, $33MM contract with Los Angeles, Danault had scored 70 goals and 195 points in 319 games wearing the black and silver while averaging approximately 18 minutes a night.
Additionally, Danault has managed a solid 53.0% success rate in the faceoff dot while starting most of his shifts in the defensive zone, and has held his own on the defensive side of the puck. He has been one of the Kings’ best playoff performers, despite failing to reach beyond the first round throughout his tenure, scoring seven goals and 19 points in 24 contests.
This season, by contrast, Danault has offered little to no offensive value. Through 28 games, the 32-year-old middleman has registered only five assists while averaging 16:27 of ice time. He has remained valuable on the defensive side of the puck, but it appears frustration is growing on both sides of the relationship, particularly due to the lack of offense.
Given his lack of offense, even for a change-of-scenery swap, it may prove difficult to move Danault. He’s signed through next season at a $5.5MM cap hit, and has a 10-team no-trade clause, though he may be willing to completely waive that if he’s committed to a new opportunity.
It’s unlikely that the Kings would want to move him for futures, either. Unless they acquire capital for a separate trade, Los Angeles doesn’t have many internal candidates that could replace Danault down the middle of the team’s third line.
That means that for any trade involving Danault, the Kings would likely look for another center who has had a similarly disappointing year. Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres, Jason Dickinson of the Chicago Blackhawks, Kent Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Scott Laughton of the Toronto Maple Leafs all come to mind as potential options.
West Notes: Danault, Pettersson, Rossi
Yesterday evening, Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli reported that “trade chatter is picking up” around Los Angeles Kings pivot Phillip Danault. According to Seravalli, “multiple teams have inquired with LA on his availability,” and Danault could be one of the top centers available on the trade market, assuming the Kings have an appetite to deal him.
Danault, 32, has been one of the league’s more well-regarded defensive centers over the last half-decade or more. He finished seventh in Selke Trophy voting in 2018-19, beginning a streak of five consecutive years where he received votes as the league’s top defensive forward. While he has generally been a consistent offensive presence as a King, good for about 40 to 50 points of production, points have eluded him in 2025-26. Danault has just five points through 28 games this season, and has yet to register a goal.
At 32 years old, it’d be fair to be concerned that Danault’s offensive decline early in the season could be less a cold streak and more a signal of actual age-related decline. Complicating things further is the fact that Danault is under contract for another year at a $5.5MM cap hit, and owns a 10-team no-trade list per the terms of his contract. But if teams view Danault’s decline in production as more of a poor stretch than a sign of more permanent decline, then it’d be understandable that Danault would receive robust interest on the trade market.
Other notes from the Pacific Division:
- Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote told the media last night, including The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, that center Elias Pettersson is dealing with an injury and is still being evaluated. Foote added that Pettersson will undergo further testing on Sunday, including an MRI. If the Canucks lose Pettersson for any period of time, their chances of winning games would be dealt a significant blow. For as much criticism as Pettersson has received over the last year, he’s upped his production to start 2025-26. He’s scored 22 points in 28 games this season, and while that’s not at the standard he set when he was a 102-point player in 2022-23, it is an improvement in scoring pace over last season.
- On Thursday, we covered news coming out of Minnesota that Wild center Marco Rossi‘s injury recovery was progressing at a slower rate than was initially expected. Today, The Athletic’s Joe Smith relayed word from Wild head coach John Hynes, who said that he still considers Rossi at this point to be out on a week-to-week basis. Rossi has been out since Nov. 11 and has 13 points in 17 games played in 2025-26.
Pacific Notes: Karlsson, Danault, Musty
The Golden Knights appear to be set to welcome back a key contributor up front. Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal relays that Vegas is aiming to activate center William Karlsson to their active roster for Saturday’s contest against San Jose. The 31-year-old has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury. Karlsson is coming off one of his best seasons offensively as he notched 30 goals and 30 assists in 70 games while he also won 56.2% of his faceoffs, the best rate of his career. Notably, the Golden Knights have a full 23-player roster so someone will need to come off in order for Karlsson to be activated; their only waiver-exempt players are forwards Brendan Brisson and Alexander Holtz.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- Kings center Phillip Danault has changed agents. Octagon’s Allan Walsh announced (Twitter link) that he is now representing the 31-year-old who was previously repped by Newport’s Don Meehan. Walsh won’t be having to worry about contract talks for a while, however, as Danault is signed through the 2026-27 season at a $5.5MM AAV. He’s off to a bit of a quiet start offensively this season with just three assists through his first eight games. However, he has recorded at least 47 points in five of the last six seasons.
- Late last month, the Sharks assigned prospect Quentin Musty back to OHL Sudbury but he has yet to play since then. It’s not because of an injury, however, but rather a trade request. GM Mike Grier expressed some frustration about the situation to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (subscription link), indicating that he has been in contact with Musty’s agent to emphasize the need to find a suitable trade sooner rather than later. San Jose selected Musty with the 26th pick in 2023 and he averaged nearly two points per game last season with the Wolves, notching 43 goals and 59 assists in 53 games. Having him out this long certainly isn’t ideal from a development standpoint.
Pacific Notes: Bellemare, Danault, Turcotte, Pospisil
Close to reaching a milestone of playing in 700 regular season games at the NHL level, it appears that Seattle Kraken forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare does not want to stop there. In an article from Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, Bellemare indicated that even if he is unable to reach 700 this season with the Kraken, he would be content with reaching it next year.
In the article, Bellemare was quoted as saying, “So, I feel like it’s more the people that know me and maybe have an idea about my path and the work and everything. But at the end of the day, I’m not planning on retiring, so if it doesn’t happen this year, it will be at another point. And if it takes me 80 more games to pick up whatever’s left it will be what it is“.
Even if Bellemare does not hold the benchmark in high regard, it is quite a testament to his work ethic, as he originally came into the league during the 2014-15 season to the Philadelphia Flyers organization as a free agent. Throughout his 10 years in the league, Bellemare has suited up for the Flyers, Kraken, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning, earning a total of $10.525MM up to this point in his career.
Other Pacific notes:
- In an update from Eric Stephens of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Kings will be receiving center Phillip Danault back into the lineup this evening. Usually one of the more consistently healthy players in the league, Danault went down with an upper-body injury on March 28th and has missed the last four games for the Kings. Included in the report was an update on injured Los Angeles forward Alex Turcotte, who was spotted back at practice in a non-contact jersey this morning. Compared to Danault, Turcotte has been out much longer for the Kings, as he has not appeared in a contest since March 19th due to an upper-body injury.
- In the Calgary Flames most recent matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, forward Martin Pospisil delivered a check to Jets’ defenseman Josh Morrissey, with Pospisil’s elbow appearing to make contact with Morrissey’s chin. Pospisil was ejected based on the play; however, it does not appear that the league will be giving him supplemental discipline (X Link). Earlier this year, Pospisil hit Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn from behind and was suspended for three games by the Department of Player Safety.
West Notes: Anhorn, James, Mangiapane, Danault
The Jets have displayed interest in top college free agent defenseman Dylan Anhorn, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports. The Canadian blue-liner has displayed mutual interest in returning north of the border after spending five years in the American collegiate system with Union and St. Cloud State. Anhorn, 25, was one of many who had their 2020-21 season lost due to the COVID pandemic, permitting him to play a fifth year of NCAA puck this season. Serving as St. Cloud’s captain, the left-shot defender led the team with 27 assists and a +14 rating and totaled 33 points in 38 games. He’s been a veritable force in college ever since making the jump from the BCHL in 2019, tallying 36 points and a +2 rating in 66 games with Union before transferring to St. Cloud in 2022. He erupted for over a point per game there last season but had his campaign stunted by injuries, limited to 23 games. The 6’0″, 190-lb Calgary native was St. Cloud’s nominee for this year’s Hobey Baker Award and won an NCHC championship with the school in 2023.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Blackhawks forward prospect Dominic James will return to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for his senior season in 2024-25, per Scott Powers of The Athletic. The alternate captain of the Bulldogs had his season end all the way back in October after just two games, recording one assist before undergoing season-ending surgery to address an upper-body injury. Chicago had considered offering him an entry-level contract, per Powers, but a jump to the professional ranks would have been difficult after such a lengthy period away from the ice. James, 21, went undrafted twice before Chicago took a flyer on him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft after a banner freshman season with the Bulldogs. Finishing with six goals and 18 points in 39 games, James helped them capture the NCHC championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was also named to the U.S. national junior team, representing his country at the 2022 World Juniors with an assist in five games.
- Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane could return tomorrow against the Jets after a three-game absence, head coach Ryan Huska told Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. The 27-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury against the Blackhawks on March 26, causing his third, fourth and fifth absences of the season. It’s been another season of solid middle-six production for the diminutive winger, tied for sixth on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 38 points in 69 games. He’s averaging 16:06 per game, down from last season’s career-high of 16:49.
- Kings center Phillip Danault will again be a game-time decision with an upper-body injury tonight in a crucial game against the Kraken, interim head coach Jim Hiller told Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period. Their playoff chances could drop south of 90% with a loss, per MoneyPuck, opening a small window for the Blues and Wild to make miracle late-season runs into playoff position. Danault was also listed as a game-time decision for Monday’s 4-3 loss to Winnipeg but did not play. Their top shutdown center hasn’t played since March 28 against the Oilers and has now missed two contests.