Phillip Danault: lucky he was acquired BEFORE Jake Evans’ injury

On Saturday night, Jake Evans was injured. His knee took the blow.

Obviously, it's still too early to know exactly what lies ahead for the Canadiens' center. However, it's safe to say that the eye test doesn't inspire confidence.

We'll see what the Habs announce in due course.

It doesn't look good for Jake Evans … https://t.co/5qeMF4b4ET

– Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) December 22, 2025

Last night, without Jake Evans in the lineup, Nick Suzuki played over 23 minutes. On Saturday, we're talking just under 20 minutes, but the game was out of reach for the Penguins at the end.

In short, without this reliable defensive option, the Canadiens had no choice but to give their captain big minutes. And in the long run, that's not exactly a good idea.

We all agree that if the Canadiens hadn't acquired Phillip Danault (who has yet to play) before the freeze, the situation would have been much more difficult for the Canadiens.

We wouldn't call it a catastrophe, but…

We agree that if Kent Hughes had called his California counterpart to pick up a guy like Danault AFTER Evans' injury, the Kings would have been waiting for Hughes with a brick and a lantern.

I know, I know: Danault was traded before the trade freeze (at a different price than expected) because there was a rush to get him out of L.A. But you get my point: the circumstances would have given the Kings some leverage.

Phillip Danault is pulling out all the stops. He looks in great shape.@DLCoulisses #GoHabsGo #Danault #NHL pic.twitter.com/IXmwltRQpr

– Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) December 22, 2025

But if the Kings had sensed that the Habs were in trouble, it would have been a different story.

In a negotiation, these details are part of the story, even if the Canadiens were clearly the Kings' best dance partner before Evans got hurt. And let's not forget that Joe Veleno didn't finish yesterday's game.

extension

Going for depth before you need it always costs less. And Kent Hughes understands this, since he knew that one day, a player in his organization would get hurt.

If Danault can play his part and relieve Nick Suzuki of a number of defensive responsibilities, that would be ideal.