“I think this is Phillip Danault’s last season in Montreal.”

Michaël Petit
“I think this is Phillip Danault’s last season in Montreal.”
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Phillip Danault's glory days are behind him.

He has served the Montreal Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings well, but he still brings something valuable to the Habs.

The Quebec native wins a lot of faceoffs, is extremely reliable defensively, and keeps offensive players from scoring too often.

This season will be the final year of his six-year, $5.5 million-per-season contract, and one wonders what his future in the NHL holds. Can he still be useful to the Habs? And for how long?

This season will provide more clarity about his future, but Stu Cowan has his own take on it.

Appearing on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, Cowan mentioned that he believes this will be his final season with the Habs.

Whether you like it or not, at 33, most NHL players are nearing the end of their careers—if they aren't already done.

We also know that Danault isn't the type of player who stays on the perimeter and is afraid of traffic or blocking shots.

So, as the years go by, the niggles pile up and the body just doesn't keep up like it used to. We've seen what happened to Brendan Gallagher…

From that perspective, Cowan believes this is simply the reality. At some point, age catches up with you.

Could the Habs be tempted to trade him at the trade deadline? Cowan doesn't think that will be an option.

“Whatever happens at the end of the season will happen. I don't think the Habs will be concerned if Danault leaves for nothing at the end of the season.” – Stu Cowan

Indeed, it would be surprising if the Habs tried to trade him for a late draft pick. Let's be honest, he's not worth the moon right now.

Still, he's been excellent throughout his career and has been a key player in every playoff run (remember how effectively he shut down the opposing team's top scorers during the 2021 playoffs).

I'm really looking forward to seeing if he can once again keep up the pace over an 84-game regular season.


In a Nutshell

– There's no rush regarding the Alexander Nikishin situation.

– Not great…

– Unbelievable.

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