Back in December, the Montreal Canadiens acquired center Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. This was after the Canadiens were heavily linked to the 32-year-old forward. There was no question that Danault needed a change of scenery, as he struggled mightily with the Kings this season before the trade. In 30 games with the Kings, he had zero goals and just five assists. This was after he had eight goals and 43 points in 80 games this past season with Los Angeles. While Danault started the season ice-cold with the Kings, there is no question that he has been bouncing back nicely during his second stint with the Habs so far. The trade to Montreal has given Danault a nice boost, as he has recorded three goals, six assists, and nine points in 21 games. He also recorded a point in each of his two final games ahead of the Olympic break. The Canadiens have also benefited by bringing back Danault, as he has once again been a nice part of Montreal's forward group and penalty kill. Overall, it is clear that both the Canadiens and Danault are benefiting from reuniting. It will be interesting to see how Danault performs during the final stretch of the year for the Canadiens from here.
