The motivation was clear. With Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook out for a long time, the Canadiens needed to bring in centers. Despite a pleasant surprise in the form of Oliver Kapanen, one of this season’s top newcomers, the backbone of the offensive deserved to be strengthened. The fighter, who did not score a goal this season, will take care of it. Weird? Nowhere. At the same time, he is a great hockey player when it comes to defense, he knows it well in a francophone club, and in addition, he scored over 40 points four times in a row.
When Pierre LeBrun summarized the situation surrounding Phillip Danault on Thursday, he pointed out two things, among other things.
1, Los Angeles wants a ready-made player for him. The Kings have ambitions to fight in the playoffs, so a draft pick or a promising youngster without NHL experience is not a preferred option for them.
2, The exchange may drag on. There are a surprisingly large number of interested parties, but everything depends on the consideration. “Honestly, I don’t know how easy it is to close such a deal in the next 24 hours. Rather, it may be a process that drags on until March 6.”
The transfer of the thirty-two-year-old native of Quebec finally took place before Christmas.
Why? The key was the willingness of the Kings to back down in the nature of their demands. They took a draft pick in return. On the other hand, the forwards – they can vote thanks to the “pick”, which originally belonged to Columbus, in 2026 already in the second round. And it is expected that it will eventually be relatively late in the round.
Montreal has had this option from the Blue Jackets since last year, when they traded Patrik Laine with them. In any case, it has value for LA primarily as an interesting item for further trading.
They let Danault go somewhat reluctantly, after all, he was part of the big plans… in 2021, he signed a lucrative six-year contract for $5.5 million a year, and immediately set a new career high in goals (27), the next season and points (53). He got an A on his jersey…
But this autumn he did not find the experienced forward in an optimal mood. It was downright miserable going forward, even though he played 16 minutes a night, he only managed to produce five assists in 30 games. He didn’t forget to play hockey, but he needed a change. He was indispensable to Manchaft, but interesting challenges awaited elsewhere.
In the end, he has before him, also thanks to the fact that he excluded 10 addresses from the game thanks to his contract clause, here in Montreal. He once broke through in the NHL with the Habs, played in the Stanley Cup final for them, and has plus points with the fans for his French and origin.
He does not come as a mercenary for short-term help, his pact runs until 2027.
Will he be able to shoot again among the leading candidates for the Selke trophy? And will it improve productivity? GM Kent Hughes certainly hopes so. After all, it’s not every day you give a second-round draft pick to a five-goal player…
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