Most likely KK passes him before the end of the year and because of that he takes 4-5 Mil to play 3C. I don't see Danault wanting to leave especially if Montreal makes the playoffs and advances to at least the 2nd round.

How about option 2 combined with option 3. Sign him with expectations he will be one of 3 top line centers. If Suzuki and KK both take off, trade him. If either one of the 2 youngsters stumble, you have someone to fill top 6 role short term. Really hope Montreal roles their top 3 lines fairly evenly, which means it really doesn't matter whether he is considered 1C, 2C, or 3C. He gets extra minutes on the PK, to balance out lost minutes from not playing the PP. And he will start a lot of shifts because he will be leaned on for defensive zone face offs.

Danault said today ( or maybe yesterday ), he wouldn’t take a discount because he already did it on is last contract. So anything under 5.5M is kind of unrealistic. We won’t trade Danault if we are making the playoffs

Treat me fool, I can see a 4 year - 20M$ worth contract. This pandemic will change the whole picture for contracts over the next two years, so if Danault think he can have more than 6M$ per, and over 6 years, I don't see it.

Danault won’t stay if he’s stuck as the 3C again. He’s already stated he wants top 6 minutes.

He stated today he never says he wanted to play top6, he says he doesn’t want to play in a defensive role. But he won’t take any discount on is last contract

He wants 6X6

I honestly don't know why he would, or for that matter should. It'd be smarter to take a 2-3 year deal at $5-5.5M to get through the pandemic and flat cap of the next few years and then go for the long term contract and the payout that comes with it once the cap goes up in a few years. He'd only be 30, plenty of teams would likely be willing to give him the contract he wants even at that age point.

They likely keep him at least until trade deadline. If they're practilly out he's traded if not they keep him in hope to get the playoffs and then who knows what happens. After this season I don't see him in a Habs jersey. Suzuki and KK will pass him in the depth charts and I don't see Montreal pay him 5.5M/season to play on the third line. Poehling will probably be the one to center the third line in the future and will cost less.

If we can get him for that cheap, Option 2 all day long

Danault played all year as 1C. He was 1C in the playoffs. He is still 1C. Sign him.

KK didn’t play half of last season because he wasn't playing at NHL level, but now he is Jesus second coming because Muller put him on the ice for a couple of shifts when trailing by a goal.

People are so hyped.

He was the foward with the most icetime during the playoffs 🙄

He ended up playing with Lehkonen and Byron most of the playoffs. Yes they play a lot, but they are technically the 3rd line. For the Kotkaniemi part, he is 3C in my line up, under Danault. But after 2021-2022, he’ll need to be 2C. It will depends on is 2021 season, but if he’s stepping up, 5.5M-6M for a 3C is expensive

Again today he said he already took a discount on is last deal ( ~3X3 ) and he wants to get paid now. It will be here or somewhere else .. like he said, it’s in Bergevin hands is future

This is just not true. He played more without Byron than with him during the playoffs. Whatever the last 2 years, whatever the whole playoff run, too much focus is given on the last 2 games, when Gally was out of the line up, Julien in the hospital and Muller behind the bench.

KK and Suzuki havent yet hit the 45 points mark in their NHL career and people claim their are already 1&2C. Bollocks.

Tatar-Danault-Gally will still be Montreal's first line on the opening game and everything else is pure speculation.

You guys should do everything in your power to retain him. I’d be thrilled if Detroit signed him next offseason to play 2C (assuming AAV isn’t astronomical). Why not shift KK to wing to play with him?

He's an actual 2-way center, not a wing playing center. Those don't hit the UFA market very often. If he can put up another 50p+ season (or an 82 game pace for that depending on how many games the season is), there will be teams that will be in the market for a $6mx6 UFA center. Also teams will have a better handle on the the flat cap next year, and everyone is going to clear some salary from the Seattle expansion draft.

Because we draft Kotkaniemi 3rd OA and he’s way more talented than Danault. Danault is a great all around player, but doesn’t have that offensive in him that Suzuki and probably Kotkaniemi can bring

He played with Lehkonen and Byron against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, what you mean 2 games. He played 2 games WITH Tatar and Gallagher

It doesn’t matter where you drafted him but rather what’s best for his development and the team? Danault currently is a better 2C option until KK can proof/steal the job.

Kotkaniemi will play 3C next year, but the year after is when Danault contract expires. If Kotkaniemi and Poehling don’t step up, Danault will be extend, but if one or both step up big time. Bye Phillip

That makes sense if KK can breakout next year and look really solid then yeah. Hopefully the season isn’t to short to get an extended look at him.

If Habs give him what he's asking for (somewhere in the $5.5-$6mil aav range for 5+ years), he'll happily play wherever they put him. My takeaway from Danaults comments is him putting it in the most sportsman way possible to say "pay me like a top 6 Center", him saying he doesn't want to solely have a defensive role, blah ,blah is him just dancing around that answer..

If Habs don't give him a contract similar to what he's asking, he'll test free agency. I'm almost 99% sure of that. Thing is it wouldn't surprise me either that Danault test FA and comes crawling back when he realizes there's still no money or cap to spend anywhere in the league due to the pandemic....

Just check Danault playoff line combinaison TOI stats.

He played as much with Tatar+Gally/Lekh than Byron+Lekh.

Hey @GMs.

Simple question here: Agreeing that Danault leaves, what would be the Habs center line if Suzuki gets injured?

KK-Poehling-Evans-Vejdemo? KK-Evans-Belzile-Vejdemo?

That screams AHL line up.

My point is that we still need Danault for at least 2-3 years.