With the Montreal Canadiens still looking for centre help, a potential reunion with a former player could be on the horizon to bolster the team down the middle. Philip Danault was a member of the Canadiens from 2016 to 2021 before signing with the Los Angeles Kings. With Danault struggling this season, the Kings are looking to move off his contract that still has another year remaining with a $5.5 million cap hit.
Sources indicate that Phil Danault has asked for a tradein LA. His camp hopes a deal gets done sooner than later; prior to the Trade Freeze.
— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) December 16, 2025
Kings are willing to wait it out, looking for a player-for-player trade.
MTL, NJD and CAR are some of the teams to kicked tires there.
Before joining the Canadiens at the 2016 trade deadline, Danault struggled to secure regular game time with the Chicago Blackhawks, appearing in only 32 games across four seasons with the organization. He became a contributor almost immediately with the Canadiens, and in his first full season with the team, he set a new career high in goals with 13 and points with 40.
As his play improved, his role expanded. Originally looked at as a depth forward, Danault was now playing in the top-six of the Canadiens' lineup. While scoring and point producing were not his best attributes, Danault was best deployed in a shutdown role, going up against the opposing team’s best players each night.
His defensive capabilities were on full display in the 2020-21 season when the Canadiens made a run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Danault limited Auston Matthews to just one goal in their seven-game battle, as the Canadiens erased the Maple Leafs' 3-1 series lead to shatter Toronto’s playoff dreams. Danault parlayed his great play from the 2021 playoffs into a huge payday in free agency, signing a six-year $33 million contract with the Kings.
Danault has had the best offensive numbers of his career as a member of the Kings, setting a new career high with 27 goals in his first season in Los Angeles. He set a new career high in points with 54 in the following season, besting his old mark of 53 that he set with the Canadiens in the 2018-19 season. However, with the scoring seemingly dried out this season, with just five points in 30 games, Danault needs a fresh start.
The former Canadien would be a perfect fit for the Canadiens' lineup. Danault would go right into the third-line centre position, acting in that shutdown role once again. Bringing in Danault would give you the flexibility of moving Jake Evans back into his fourth-line role, a position he has excelled at in years past. The Canadiens have conceded the fifth-most goals in the NHL this season, with 116, and while some of it has to do with the team’s goaltending, Danault would help disrupt opposing teams' offences.
With the Kings looking to move off of Danault’s contract, the Canadiens likely will not have to give up much of their future to acquire the veteran centre. Danault would also not be a rental because he still has a year remaining on his contract after this season. If a reunion is possible, it could not come at a better time for both the Canadiens and Danault.