2nd center: What if the solution was…? Phillip Danault?

Things aren’t going great for Danault so far this season.

He has yet to score in eleven games since the start of the campaign… and in the Kings’ last game, his head coach decided to bench him for a few minutes because he wasn’t satisfied with his performance.

Could he become available if the Kings start to collapse in the standings? And should the Canadiens be interested in a guy who’s not doing so well right now?

Danault earns $5.5 million per season.

His contract expires in the summer of 2027… and I have a feeling the Kings won’t be asking the moon for his services if they ever want to move on.

That said, Danault’s performance isn’t spectacular right now. But we’re still talking about a 32-year-old player who is very responsible on 200 feet and capable of adding a certain offensive touch to his game.

I don’t feel it would be a huge risk…

Having a responsible center like Danault can help. We saw him be so useful during the Canadiens’ playoff run in the summer of 2021, after all: he had a mandate to take on opposing top trios, and he was really good in that role.

Maybe his best years are behind him, though. And that’s what bothers me about bringing him back to Montreal…

Overtime

– Oh.

– With good reason.

– The suit is perfect.

– Nice lineup.