This past week late on Friday night (Dec. 19), the Los Angeles Kings traded two-way veteran center Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens for a return of a second round draft pick (via the Columbus Blue Jackets). In the week following the Kings and new general manager Ken Holland trading Danault to the Habs in Montreal, there have been more reports and discussions going around in the media and on social media regarding how the deal went down with his camp and the team in the past month or so.
Los Angeles Kings reportedly rejected an offer for Phillip Danault for the Carolina Hurricanes
It sounds like the Kings and Holland were reportedly close to trading Danault to the Carolina Hurricanes in the East this past week in this month in mid-December before the holidays and the trade freeze, but the Canes didn't have the asset offer that LA wanted in return for the veteran center.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period recently reported on a podcast interview that the Kings nearly traded Danault to the Hurricanes this past week before the trade freeze in the league in the NHL.
The Kings reportedly weren't interested in trading for the bloated contract of third-line center for Carolina, Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes' 25-year-old center, Kotkaniemi, has four years remaining on a large eight-year contract that pays him just north of $4.2 million in average annual value.
The former third-overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft of the Canadiens, Kotkaniemi has fallen below the expectations as the Hurricanes' bottom-six center this regular season in the Eastern Conference in the Metro. He's registered two goals and six total points in 20 games played for the Hurricanes in the East this regular season.
Like Danault, Kotkaniemi has struggled to score goals offensively in the East this regular season in the 2025-26 campaign for the Canes and the Kings in the West. Danault has registered five assists and zero goals for five total points in 31 games played this regular season.
The Hurricanes didn't have a second-round draft pick for the 2026 entry draft this upcoming spring next year.