DANAULT DEALT BACK TO THE CANADIENS
The Montreal Canadiens acquired center Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings for a second-round draft pick in 2026.
What does it give the Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens know Danault well, since he spent parts of six seasons in Montreal from 2015-16 to 2020-21. However, Danault is not the same player this season that Habs fans know well: he had yet to score a goal in 30 appearances for the Kings in '25-26. That said, Danault returns to Montreal to provide his signature defensive chops, penalty-killing prowess and leadership to the youthful Habs. He will not fill a second-line center role any longer but might be a solid bottom-six pivot. Danault is signed through 2026-27.
What does it give the Los Angeles Kings
For the Kings, this is a value trade. Getting back a second-round draft pick in '26, which originally belonged to Columbus, for a player with zero goals this season looks like a pure win for Los Angeles at this time. Furthermore, Danault was signed through next season, so this move saves the Kings $5.5 million on the salary cap. They are likely to make more moves because they have scoring issues, while moving Danault also leaves them a center short. Expect Kings GM Ken Holland to remain very active this season.
Fantasy impact
There is no reason to pick Danault up in most fantasy hockey formats. His scoring days seem long over by now.
