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Canadiens: Danault Looking for High Payday Following Impressive Season

By Scott Cowan

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 05: Phillip Danault #24 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the Boston Bruins during the first period at the Bell Centre on November 5, 2019 in Montreal, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins 5-4. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 05: Phillip Danault #24 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the Boston Bruins during the first period at the Bell Centre on November 5, 2019 in Montreal, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins 5-4. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Montreal Canadiens, Phillip Danault
TORONTO, ONTARIO – AUGUST 07: Montreal Canadiens Phillip Danault (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /

With one year left on his contract, Phillip Danault should be looking for a higher payday with the Montreal Canadiens, or possibly another team.

Phillip Danault has certainly seen some changes in his time with the Montreal Canadiens.

The central part of a trade that saw Montreal send Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Danault and a second-round pick in 2018 (Alexander Romanov), the Victoriaville native had struggled to produce much of anything for the Hawks since being picked 26th overall pick in 2011. He had yet to post a 40-point season in the AHL and had just five points in 31 games through his rookie season in 2015-16.

Following the trade, Danault played at a similar pace, posting a modest five points in 21 games on a Habs team that collapsed midway through the year following the loss of Carey Price. Since then, however, he’s done a complete 180, becoming one of Montreal’s key players and one of the better defensive forwards in the NHL. Following a career-high 53-point performance last season, he was on pace to surpass that this season with 47 points in 71 games prior to the season suspension.

In the Habs 10-game playoff run that ended with a six-game series loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Round One, Danault put up only three points, as he and similar team leaders Tomas Tatar disappeared in the post-season. With one year left on a three-year deal worth $9.250 million, signed back in 2018, the question now goes to what Danault will be asking for on what should be his first long term contract.

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