Just before the NHL’s roster freeze at midnight ET for the Christmas break, the Los Angeles Kings traded center Phillip Danault. The Kings received a 2026 second-round draft pick from the Montreal Canadiens, which originally belonged to the Columbus Blue Jackets, currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
This trade allows Kings GM Ken Holland to free up Danault’s $5.5 million salary cap hit. Danault has one year left on his contract, which had spanned six years in total. With this move, the Kings now have $9.2 million available under the salary cap and hold two second-round picks for the 2026 draft.
The trade came after reports, including from Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman, that both Danault and Los Angeles were open to parting ways. Danault will be returning home to Quebec to rejoin the Canadiens, with whom he spent six seasons. Over 360 games with Montreal, Danault scored 54 goals and tallied 194 points, and was part of the Canadiens’ Stanley Cup Final run in the 2020-21 season.
Danault struggled initially with the Kings this season, playing 30 games without scoring a goal, adding five assists, and averaging just over 16 minutes per game, mostly in a third-line role. He missed the last four games due to illness. Over five seasons and 349 games with Los Angeles, Danault contributed 70 goals and 200 points as a solid two-way center.
The Kings’ recent games have been tightly contested, and they’ve managed some success despite Danault’s absence due to the flu. His departure marks the end of an era for the Kings but opens new opportunities for both the player and team.
Fan Take: This trade is significant for hockey fans as it highlights the constant balancing act of managing team chemistry and salary cap constraints in the NHL. Danault’s return to Montreal signals a fresh start for him, while the Kings gain crucial cap flexibility and future assets, potentially reshaping their roster and strategy moving forward.
