Canadiens players take firm stance on Phillip Danault trade

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings. As soon as the transaction was confirmed, the team's veterans welcomed back their former teammate.

"We're excited to have him back with us," said Brendan Gallagher after the Canadiens' morning practice. "We know the type of player he is, and we know what he can do for us."

It is unclear what role Martin St. Louis will assign him with a full roster, but Danault, 32, could very well find Gallagher on his right wing again.

Phillip Danault brings penalty-kill help, experience to Canadiens

"We had a lot of success together in the past," said the forward. "I know his playing style. He's a guy who does a lot to help his linemates. The league is so competitive that you have to try to take advantage of any edge. We just added a very good player who will help us in several facets of the game."

One of those will be the penalty kill. Montreal ranks 20th with a 77.3% efficiency rating.

While Josh Anderson, Oliver Kapanen and Joe Veleno have handled those minutes, Jake Evans could benefit from the addition of a veteran. The Victoriaville native was part of the team in 2021 during its run to the Stanley Cup Final.

"It was my first full season. As a rookie, he was a player I looked up to," Evans said. "When you go that far in the playoffs, you build bonds and memories with each of them. We chatted a bit on the phone. He is excited to come back here."

The acquisition of Danault, a veteran with 741 NHL games under his belt, indicates Kent Hughes has reached another stage in building a team: adding experienced athletes to a youthful core. Only Gallagher, drafted by the team in 2010, has played more NHL games than him.

"This is the first time we've made a transaction to bring in a player who has been in the league this long," said Nick Suzuki. "For us players, it's a good feeling to know that management trusts us and believes in us enough to add an asset for the playoffs."