The trade involving Phillip Danault completely transformed the Canadiens’ season

Marc-Olivier Cook
The trade involving Phillip Danault completely transformed the Canadiens’ season
Credit: Reuben Polansky-Shapiro/NHLI via Getty Images

On December 19, Kent Hughes made a move.

He completed a trade with the Los Angeles Kings to bring Phillip Danault back to Montreal. And when you take a step back, you realize that this trade completely transformed the Canadiens' season.

Let me explain.

Since acquiring Danault on December 19, 2025, the Canadiens have a record of 26-9-6. That… puts them in 3rd place in the National Hockey League standings. You can't make this stuff up!

Only the Sabres and the Lightning have outperformed the Habs since then: 

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

But… we can take it even further.

Because from the start of the season through December 19, the Canadiens had a record of… 18-12-4. That was good for 13th place in the NHL standings:

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

The Canadiens weren't bad before acquiring Phillip Danault. They were still among the top 13 teams in the NHL after playing a total of 34 games… but, clearly, we can see just how much the Quebec native's arrival in Montreal changed the game.

And that's also where we realize that the Canadiens really needed to bring in a center who could handle faceoffs and play in the defensive zone.

Danault stabilizes the team's bottom six because he's a versatile player, and that's exactly why Kent Hughes traded a second-round pick to acquire him. 

It was a smart move by the Canadiens' GM, to put it another way.

At least, there's no doubt about that when you look at the numbers…


Quick Notes

– Note:

– Go!

– Absolutely.

– Well done!

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