Hockey

Elliotte Friedman thinks Phillip Danault will ask the Kings to let him go himself
Marc-Olivier Cook
Elliotte Friedman thinks Phillip Danault will ask the Kings to let him go himself
Credit: Getty Images

Phillip Danault is having a miserable season in Los Angeles.

The former Canadiens player has no goals in 28 games… and only five assists since the start of the campaign. Things aren't going well for him, and now his name is starting to circulate.

Elliotte Friedman broached the subject in the latest episode of his podcast.

Basically, the tipster mentions that Danault could ask to leave the Kings organization himself.

Friedman believes that there really is a world in which Danault goes to management to tell them that he wants a fresh start elsewhere… and this prompts Elliotte Friedman to think that the player could leave the Kings sooner than we think too.

What we can understand, then, is that this file is really starting to heat up. And with the limited number of center players on the market…

Phillip Danault could soon become the target of several clubs.

We know some teams are already interested in him… but if the Kings officially place him on the trade market, there will probably be a ton of teams lining up for his services.

Because even if he doesn't have a season to match his talent, Danault has one element in his game that is attractive: his reliability in the defensive zone. He can be used against opposing top trios – we saw him do it in Montreal's playoffs in 2021 – and his versatility makes him an important player in big moments.

I wonder what the price tag would look like, though…

Would Ken Holland want the same thing Barry Trotz got for Ryan O'Reilly – an A prospect and a first-round pick?

Would the Kings prefer to get a player who can help right now, given that the team is old and this may be the club's last chance to win the Stanley Cup for a long time?

Whatever. All this to say that the Phillip Danault issue is likely to become increasingly popular in the coming weeks. And it makes you wonder whether Kent Hughes will want to stick his nose into the matter…


Overtime

– Yes.

– Yes.

– Of note.

– Good reading.

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