The pros and cons of the Montreal Canadiens trading Phillip Danault
By Omar L
Whether out of curiosity or action, Phillip Danault’s name is out there for the Montreal Canadiens, and there are positives and negatives of making the trade.
The new era of Phillip Danault trades is a prime example of a little seed of information growing into a giant trade of speculation. It’s important to keep in mind that nothing formal has come from the Montreal Canadiens themselves. Everything is in the category of ‘chatter’ and ‘rumblings’ at the moment, even though the concept of a Danault trade makes sense.
After dropping the initial nugget of information, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added another layer to the Danault rumours. It’s possible the Canadiens don’t really have any intention of trading Danault and that this is instead a way to put some pressure on him ahead of contract negotiations.
His deal isn’t up until next summer, but it’s not too late to begin those initial conversations, especially with a contract that may be fairly weighted financially. Danault has gone through his time of bridge deals and is likely looking for a long-term payday. That said, if his role has indeed changed on the Montreal Canadiens, the money he was initially looking for may not be there.
That’s what we know so far, and although we’re going through the rollercoaster ride of wondering whether Phillip Danault will be traded, perhaps we should be asking ourselves should Phillip Danault be traded?
There’s a one-word difference between the two questions, but that single difference changes the weight of the conversation.
Sebastian High: I would be open to trading Danault, even though I would not be enthusiastic if a trade occurred. The issue lies within what Danault deems necessary for his next contract. On the open market, he could fetch a Kevin Hayes type salary, one that Montreal will likely not give him as they see him as an ideal third-line centre in the long term with Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi as the top two centremen. Thus, I don’t see Montreal being a good fit for Danault in the long term, and I expect he will be traded of he is unwilling (and understandably so) to take a discounted contract.