1. Phillip Danault, C
Veteran center Phillip Danault was a big signing for the Kings in the early 2020s in free agency. In the 2021 offseason, the Kings signed Danault to a six-year contract deal worth around $33 million. Signing him to a deal that pays him well north of $5 million in average annual value over a long-term contract was a significant investment that the Kings made in Danault.
And he helped to prove the cost of the contract that the Kings signed him to almost immediately. Danault was a significant two-way contributor on multiple Kings playoff teams in the Western Conference in the early-to-mid 2020s, including scoring a career-high 27 goals and 51 total points in his first full season in Los Angeles in 2021-22.
In his first three seasons with the Kings, Danault scored double-digit goals and at least 45 total points while winning well over half of his faceoff attempts. He was also a big-time playoff performer for the Kings, scoring seven goals and 19 total points in 24 postseason games in Los Angeles.
For multiple years, Danault was not only a reliable two-way center in the Kings middle-six, but he was also a cornerstone player who contributed in significant ways in both the regular season and the postseason.
Unlike Talbot and Forsberg, Danault brought value to the Kings that wasn't limited to just one standout season. He became a critical part of the Kings' identity at the center position for multiple years and was part of the transition that helped Los Angeles go from a rebuilding team to a consistent playoff squad.
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