This past December, the Los Angeles Kings traded two-way center Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens in the regular season.
The trade appeared to signal a shift toward greater roster flexibility and a long-term transition down the middle for Los Angeles and general manager Ken Holland.
But after another early postseason exit and Montreal’s deep playoff run this spring, questions are beginning to emerge regarding whether Los Angeles underestimated Danault’s value to the organization.
Phillip Danault’s postseason impact in Montreal has renewed discussion about the Los Angeles Kings trading the center
Danault and his agent also made it clear during the season that the veteran center was interested in returning to Montreal. He also spent most of the early portion of his NHL career in Montreal before joining Los Angeles in free agency in 2021.
His defensive reliability, faceoff ability, and matchup experience remain difficult qualities to fully replace, especially during playoff hockey.
I’m not saying the Kings necessarily made a mistake by trading Danault to Montreal. It was still telling to see Danault immediately experience more postseason success with Montreal than Los Angeles managed this spring.
Danault’s role in Los Angeles had also begun to shift as the organization focused more heavily on younger forwards such as Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte moving into larger offensive roles.
Los Angeles later added veteran center Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, giving the organization another experienced two-way option down the middle.
Montreal’s postseason success has naturally placed additional attention on the trade, especially while the Kings continue searching for more consistency at center. Danault brought a level of defensive matchup reliability that becomes increasingly valuable during postseason hockey.
In over a dozen postseason games played with the Habs this spring, Danault has registered multiple goals and eight total points. He's been a rock for Montreal on both sides of the ice at the center position.
The Kings may still believe moving on from Danault was necessary for the organization’s long-term direction, but Los Angeles has yet to fully replace the type of stability, leadership, and two-way reliability he consistently provided at center.
Ultimately, it still makes sense why both the Kings and Danault moved in different directions after the trade earlier this season. The pressure will now shift even more heavily toward younger forwards such as Byfield, Turcotte, and or Alex Laferriere to help solidify the Kings’ long-term future at center next season.
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