Canadiens re-acquire Phillip Danault in trade with Kings

The Montreal Canadiens are battling for playoff positioning at this time. Montreal is looking to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after making it last season, and have been interested in making some moves to aid their push. On Friday night, they struck a deal with the Los Angeles Kings to reunite with former friend Phillip Danault.

Danault is returning to the Habs via trade, as first reported by NHL insider Frank Seravalli. The Canadiens confirmed the deal on Friday night. In return, the Kings are acquiring a 2026 second-round pick. This pick is originally owned by the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are tied on points for last place in the Eastern Conference.

Danault returns to the franchise where he spent the majority of his NHL career prior to signing with Los Angeles. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2011 NHL draft. However, he played just 32 games with them before being traded to Montreal in February 2016.

Upon making the Canadiens full-time, Danault blossomed into one of the best bottom-six centers in the NHL. He was particularly known for his ability in the defensive end of the ice. His final three seasons with the Canadiens saw him earn top-10 votes for the Selke Trophy, awarded to the best defensive forward in the league.

He signed with the Kings in 2021, and played to his usual standard for the most part. He even set new offensive benchmarks in his first two seasons. Danault scored a career high 27 goals in 2021-22, and set a new personal best with 54 points the year after.

Unfortunately, Danault’s offense has cratered in 2025-26. He has not scored a goal this season, with his last regular-season goal coming on March 30th against the San Jose Sharks. Furthermore, he only has five assists all season.

The Canadiens hope a change of scenery can help the veteran turn things around. If he can do that, he should stabilize their depth down the middle. Only time will tell if the reunion in Montreal works out for both parties.

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