Phillip Danault trade grades for Kings, Canadiens

Story by

Story by
Phillip Danault trade grades for Kings, Canadiens

Tristin McKinstry, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, Dec 20, 2025 ·

4 min read

About Our Ads

Phillip Danault trade grades for Kings, Canadiens appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The NHL froze its rosters at 11:59 pm local time on December 19th for the upcoming Christmas holiday. As a result, teams needed to act fast if they wanted to swing a trade before the rosters locked. On Friday night, the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens did just that with Phillip Danault .

The Kings sent Danault to the Canadiens in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. Los Angeles parted ways with the veteran pivot after he spent parts of five seasons with the team. In 349 games, he scored 70 goals and 200 points for the franchise.

However, he returns to the Canadiens at a rather tumultuous point in his career. Danault has not scored a regular-season goal since March 30th. And his last goal game in Game 1 of the Kings' first-round playoff matchup with the Edmonton Oilers from this past spring.

The Canadiens need help down the middle. Danault is seeking a fresh start. And the Kings wanted to clear some space for other moves. How does this deal work for all involved? Here are our grades for Friday night's Phillip Danault trade.

Kings set up to make further moves

The Kings, like the Canadiens, are looking at a push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The entire reason they hired Ken Holland as general manager this summer was to go further than the first round. Missing the playoffs entirely would be a major failure for this team.

And yet, missing the playoffs is a real possibility for Los Angeles. They are only two points clear atop the Western Conference Wild Card race. They are only 4-4-2 in their last 10 games while having a negative goal differential.

Scoring goals has been an issue for this team in 2025-26. Their 88 goals on the season are tied for the second-worst mark in the Western Conference. Only the St. Louis Blues have scored fewer goals than the Kings to this point in the year.

As a result, they needed to make some moves. Trading Danault is the first step, most likely. As mentioned, he had not scored a goal all season long. While he has a solid track record, they cannot afford to wait for him to come around.

The return isn't extremely inspiring, to be fair. There is a decent chance Danault finds his game again on a talented Canadiens team. However, the Kings now have north of $9 million in salary cap space to play with. It will certainly help once trade season truly heats up across the NHL.

Phillip Danault looks to return to form with Canadiens

Outside of the Kings, there is no team in the NHL that knows Phillip Danault quite like the Candiens. He skated in 360 games for the Habs before signing with Los Angeles as a free agent in 2021. If there's any team that knows what he's about, it's the most storied franchise in the sport.

The Canadiens didn't make this move for a feel-good reclamation story, though. Montreal has had a need for center depth for quite some time. Even when Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach were on the ice, the need persisted. With both of those players out long-term, however, the need for a center is exacerbated.

Danault could slot in as their second-line center, especially if he can find his offensive production. However, rookie Oliver Kapanen has played well enough on the second line. In fact, Kapanen's 10 goals this year are tied for second among Montreal skaters. Danault would need to truly improve his offensive game if he wanted that sort of ice time.

In any event, the Canadiens know what they are getting in Danault. And the veteran center has a solid track record. This is not a home run addition, given his 2025-26 struggles. But to bring him in without giving up a roster player is certainly good business on behalf of the Canadiens.

Grades and final thoughts

The Canadiens and Kings receive fine grades for their part in the Phillip Danault trade. The Canadiens do receive a higher grade, as they didn't give up much to acquire the veteran pivot. Los Angeles could have used this trade to bring in depth on the roster.

However, they settled for a second-round pick. Even if that pick could be top five in the second round, it's a disappointing return. Their newfound cap space, though, makes up some ground. Perhaps things will look better for the Kings if they make a better trade with this financial flexibility. Only time will tell if this is the case, though.

Montreal Canadiens grade: B+

Los Angeles Kings grade: B-

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: