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Montreal Canadiens: Three Potential Phillip Danault Trades

By Ken MacMillan

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 19: Phillip Danault Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 19: Phillip Danault Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 25: Jonas Brodin #25 (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 25: Jonas Brodin #25 (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Wild

Mikko Koivu has long played the role of top six centre with two-way abilities in Minnesota. He is officially a free agent this offseason and looks to be moving on from the only NHL team he ever played for. Danault would be a perfect replacement.

If the Canadiens are going to move Danault any time soon it would likely be to fill an immediate need. A big, scoring right winger like Puljujarvi would be nice, but a top-four left defenceman would be even better.

The Wild got themselves into trouble during the last expansion draft because they had too many good players they wanted to protect. They ended up losing Erik Haula and Alex Tuch in order to keep their stable of good, young defencemen. They will be in a similar predicament next year.

Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon have no movement clauses and need to be protected. Losing Matt Dumba or Jonas Brodin for nothing to an expansion team would be awful. So, the Wild could look to move one of those defenders a year ahead of the expansion draft.

A straight DAnault for Brodin deal could make sense. They are the same age and both have one year left on their contracts before hitting unrestricted free agency. They would both fill needs on the other team but it would leave a bit of a void on the Wild blue line. So, Victor Mete is added to the deal so it makes more sense for the Wild.

This tips the scales a little too far toward Minnesota so they add in intriguing young right winger Jordan Greenway. He is huge at 6’6″ and skates well but hasn’t put up more than 28 points in an NHL season. With Kirill Kaprizov coming over from Russia, the Wild can move a right winger.

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