There was a time when Phillip Danault was the Montreal Canadiens’ top center. When it became clear to him that there was less of a future for him in the team’s top six, he signed with the Los Angeles Kings (which was undeniably his right).
Now Danault is back. The Canadiens reacquired the soon-to-be 33-year-old center and sent a second-round pick the other way in 2026 to add depth at center and presumably help prepare for another playoff run as they sit just one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division.
Danault falls out of favor with Kings
The irony should not be lost on anyone. To some extent, the hope must be that Danault, who was instrumental in the Canadiens’ 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final (and loss), helps them get back there (and win), despite the fact that he is now considerably older and is struggling himself, with just five assists in 30 games with the Kings this season.
To his credit, Danault set new career highs while with the Kings. While he developed into a top-six, defensively conscious threat with the Canadiens, he once scored a career-high 53 points with the Habs in 2018-19, but scored 54 points with the Kings in 2022-23. He had also never scored more than 13 goals with the Canadiens, while he more than doubled that number with 27 in 2021-22, his first season with his new team (51 points).
However, Danault’s production has declined significantly since then. While he scored a respectable 43 points last season, he only lit the lamp eight times, with zero so far this season. So it is inherently unlikely that he will rediscover the same scoring prowess he showed earlier in his Kings time during the remainder of his contract, which expires in 2027.
Canadiens take full Danault Cap hit
It’s worth noting that the Canadiens will shoulder Danault’s entire $5.5 million cap hit. And while max space isn’t necessarily an issue, you’re looking at a forward who has been less successful offensively than Josh Anderson (10 points) despite more ice time (16:19 per game vs. 14:46). Granted, Danault is a center. Of Kirby Dach drops out with a broken footAlthough seemingly getting closer to a return, that must have been the focal point for general manager Kent Hughes as they had to rely on 13 forward Joe Veleno to play through the middle, while also promoting prospect Owen Beck to run the third line.
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The Canadiens’ plans for Beck remain to be seen. However, the rookie hasn’t looked out of place in the five games he’s played since being recalled earlier this month (with goaltender Jacob Fowler and defenseman Adam Engstrom, presumably in response to the team’s embarrassing 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 9). So considering all factors, including the division’s current position, the situation may not be as dire as it seems, making this move more of a pre-emptive trade deadline deal.
The Canadiens recalled Owen Beck, Adam Engstrom and Jacob Fowler from the Laval Rocket.
The Canadiens have recalled Owen Beck, Adam Engstrom and Jacob Fowler from the Laval Rocket.
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) December 10, 2025
The second-round pick the Canadiens send to the Kings is the one they acquired to similarly beat Patrik Laine’s full cap hit two summers ago. Now, while the second-round picks have significantly less likely to make it to the NHL than in the first round, it’s far from insignificant compensation when you consider how Danault was first acquired by the Canadiens, alongside a second-round pick (for Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise) turned defenseman Alexander Romanov.
Not only did Romanov develop into an NHL regular, but he was also instrumental in acquiring Dach during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, so picks like that have the upper hand. It’s easy to look nostalgically past that fact and to Danault’s heyday with the team, but he’s clearly significantly older and less effective.
Danault is still not a top-six center for the Canadiens
Consider that Danault reportedly turned down a six-year, $30 million offer from the Canadiens to sign with the Kings for slightly less money (from ‘Kings sign Phillip Danault to six-year $33 million contract’). Montreal GazetteJuly 28, 2021), presumably because the writing was on the wall that his role with the team would diminish. That was obviously last offseason when he expressed a desire to remain in a top-six roledespite the potential of fellow centers Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
While Suzuki has clearly become the team’s No. 1 center, Kotkaniemi ironically received an offer from the Carolina Hurricanes shortly after Danault’s departure. It’s understood that both he and Christian Dvorak, the center that ex-GM Marc Bergevin acquired largely with the resulting compensation on the offer sheet, are no longer with the team, which over the years has addressed the team’s revolving door in the middle and a general inability to find centers that fit long-term.
It’s a nice thought that Danault could be the answer to what ails the Canadiens. It’s a nice story to say the least. But realistically, if he wasn’t a top-six forward on this team four years ago, he won’t be now.
So the Canadiens really just strengthened their bottom six. And assuming the second-round pick doesn’t amount to anything, they’ve still seemingly put another roadblock in Beck’s way, a second-round pick in his own right (2022), who appears to have all the tools to make a difference for the better with the Habs, arguably more so than Danault by the time the latter’s deal expires and his time with the franchise ends, presumably for good this time. That said, Danault is a veteran. And he could serve as the glue for the team.
As the youngest team in the NHL, the Canadiens were not realistic candidates for the Stanley Cup this season. While a finish outside the playoffs would be disappointing after successfully reaching the postseason last spring, it wouldn’t be a disaster. This move still has a sense of unwarranted desperation, that the Habs are unhappy with how their season has gone despite the respectable 18-12-4 record. The recapture of Danault therefore also speaks to higher expectations and the desire to take the next step forward.
That next step would logically be the battle for the Stanley Cup. So it shouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility that Hughes has set his sights on. Plus, it would be an even better story if Danault helped the Canadiens reach the promised land where he and they once fell short. As far as redemption angles go, it’s a good one. Everyone just has a job to do, especially Danault, based on how far he’s fallen, period.
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