The Canadiens traded a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Phillip Danault, who played parts of six seasons in Montreal before.
Phillip Danault is once again a Montreal Canadiens center.
The Canadiens acquired Danault from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a second-round pick originally belonging to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2026 NHL draft.
Friday evening's move comes just over an hour before the holiday roster freeze comes into effect for the Canadiens and just over four hours for the Kings.
Danault last placed for the Canadiens from 2015-16 to 2020-21, when they made the Stanley Cup final.
In 30 games this season, Danault has five points, all assists. His ice time fell to 16:19 per game, his lowest average since the 2015-16 season.
The 32-year-old surfaced in trade rumors and speculation lately as his production and usage dropped. Last year, he had eight goals and 43 points in 80 games, averaging 17:40 of ice time. And in 2022-23, Danault posted a career-high 54 points in 82 games while averaging 18:20.
While Los Angeles receives a second-round draft pick, it also clears Danault's $5.5-million cap hit for this season and the next. The Kings now have about $9.2 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia.
The Kings' center depth now includes Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte and Samuel Helenius, although right winger Adrian Kempe had played some center earlier in his career. Kopitar's announced he's retiring at the end of this season, while Helenius has yet to record a point in seven games this year.
Montreal, meanwhile, has found a 6-foot-1, 200-pound center from Victoriaville, Que., to bolster its depth down the middle.
Canadiens centers Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook are out with injuries. Dach, who suffered a broken foot, could return after the holiday break if he meets the four- to six-week expected recovery time. Newhook underwent surgery on Nov. 14 to repair a fractured ankle and is expected to be out for four months.
Danault is in the fifth season of a six-year contract with a 10-team no-trade clause.
Back in 2021, Danault was a frequent linemate with right winger Brendan Gallagher, who has two goals and 11 points in 34 games this season while averaging 12:49 of ice time. Danault may see his ice time increase, likely higher in the lineup, while the Habs deal with their injury issues.
Danault could also feature on the penalty kill. In Los Angeles, he averaged between one and two minutes per game on the penalty kill, including a 1:05 average this season. The Kings had a top-10 penalty kill in the NHL in 2023-24 and 2024-25, when Danault averaged 1:48 and 1:52 of shorthanded ice time, respectively.
He ranked third on the Kings in faceoff win percentage this season, at 52.9 percent. That should help the Canadiens, which rank 18th in the league with a 49.7 faceoff win percentage.
This is the second time the Canadiens traded for Danault. The first time was in February 2016, when they acquired him and a 2018 second-round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise. Chicago drafted Danault 26th overall in 2011.
The Canadiens play the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, while the Kings play next on Monday at 10 p.m. ET against the Blue Jackets.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.