Not interested in that return for Dumba. Danault is a defensive middle six center who's a pending UFA looking to be overpaid. The Wild need someone younger and/or better.

Don't think the Leafs want any piece of Edmundson, sorry. They are stacked up on the left side for a few seasons to come and Edmundson's contract is a bit suspect to start with.

Very big no from Leafs

Every team but nj days no, especially Toronto

That's ok cause Montreal wants nothing to do with Kerfoot. He is a downgrade from Danault and the price offered above is rediculous overpay. Juulsen and a 3rd would be max price IF we wanted him, which we don't.

Ya but OP is talking about the Habs future and Danault isn't part of it.

Not enough to get rid of Bryon

Yes he is, besides that what does the OP know about the Habs future? He is a Flames fan. Teams don't just give up Selke quality centers for free cause they have have good prospects pushing for spots. Most likely Danault signs at 5 Mil ish for 5-8 years.

You're right. They lose them to free agency.

I see you are one of the "Danault wants first line minutes and is unhappy in Montreal" lemmings.

Ya, damn me for listening to what the player is telling us. Clearly we shouldn't believe him. What does he know anyway?

You clearly didn't listen to his press conference just followed along with what other morons on here have said. Danault said "I don't want my ROLE to change" meaning he doesn't want to be STRICTLY a shutdown center. He also went on to say that he has been growing his offensive game and wants to continue to do so. To keep him happy MB went out and got 2 more additional top 6 wingers to ensure all 3 top lines had quality wingers and Danault would be able to continue to develop his offensive game with quality wingers even if he dropped to the 3rd line. Instead of being a lemming try to actually read the presser and don't just foolishly follow other lemmings!

I'll never understand the hate for Danault. Sure he isn't the offensive dynamo we'd all love, but if we want a legit top 6 C like we say we do, here he is. As a Wild fan, the ONLY criticisms I'd have for a move like this would be: 1: he's a UFA next off-season 2: he's not a goal scorer 3: he's a lefty. That's about it. 1 legitimate critique (we'd still get 6+ months to negotiate what would probably be a good contract at first) and the rest are nitpicks.

Cool, we don't get to see if we could maximize Dumba's value but this is still pretty decent. An expiring 1C (yes, Danault is a 1C, I'll die on this hill) and pick for a RHD (a position we have organizational depth at) who we don't even know if he will return to form. Like, Dumba continues to disappoint and we get Danault locked up and it's a steal. Not saying that's what would happen but it's a possibility.

He also said that his role had changed to that.

'“In the playoffs, the coaches wanted to see what the kids could do and they shuffled the cards,” Danault said. “My role has become strictly defensive and I am repeating myself, but I know I can bring more than that. I’ve always had great chemistry with Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar. This trio can work.”'

“I’ve seen my role change during the playoffs, but with what I’ve proven in the last few years, my role shouldn’t change in Montreal,” Danault added. “I have demonstrated that I am capable of playing both defensively and offensively. “

Thats not a happy hockey player. You can bet when he's talking about his 'role', he's talking about his minutes and place in the lineup too emphasized by the players he feels he should be playing with, the 1st line.

Beyond that if you think you are getting him at 5 mil aav, you are kidding even more than thinking he's not going to leave. Danault has been the 19th more productive center in the NHL over the past 2 seasons at even strength weighted by minutes played, ahead of such names as Aho, Eichel and Seguin. He has all the leverage in this negotiation and is arguably the best center available next off season. He is going to be very expensive.

The real question that Habs fans arnt going to like is, should you keep him? They don't have a ton of cap room next summer and Danault is going to eat a vast majority of it, costing a couple other pieces in the process. Do you give up to keep Danault when you've got 2 young guys coming up right behind him?

I agree with your assessment here. The trade value is pretty spot on here and I think Danault fills that hole up the middle on a team that suits his style. I just don’t think it’s the best way to handle Dumba. I’d take my chances that Danault gets to FA (him being in the block says they won’t resign him) and get another piece (Ehlers???) or futures for him. That just seems like better asset management.

He did say that totally, I am not about to deny that. However with the additions of Anderson and Taffoli Danault will still play with Gallagher and Tatar. There simply is no reason to break up that line. Suzuki and Drouin have chemistry building from the playoffs so they will get one of Anderson or Taffoli and KK will get the other and most likely Byron putting Armia and Lehkonen on Evans wings as the shutdown line. Basically this gives Montreal 3 #2 scoring lines and a shutdown line. Danault earned ever bit of his next contract. Which would have been between 6-6.5 prepandemic but now will be in the range is 5-6 Mil. Danault does hold a ton of leverage but you have to remember there is a second and a third side to negotiations this year. The second side is, how many other GM's are going to give him 6+ Mil? Likely not many if any. If Montreal is offering 5.5 Mil and Vancouver is offering 5.75 or 6 Mil then the most likely scenario is Danault resigns with the Habs. It would likely take a difference of 1 Mil to entice him to leave. The third side is the financial impacts of having no fans to pay gate fees for another half to full season. If fans are not in attendance and owners clamp down on FA signings then Danault won't get 6+ from any GM and as a result his leverage is pretty much gone. We have already seen this year what the virus has done to the FA market. Do you think Danault wants to be next year's Mike Hoffman? I seriously doubt that.

I'm not worried about how many will do it. I know the one that will do it for sure, Seattle. A team with nothing but money and cap space who are going to be after every player who could be the next William Karlsson. A moniker Danault fits to a tee. A player being underused by his team who would likely excel in a bigger role, a role he wants.

I don't remember MB ever saying that Danault was on the block. I know there has been speculation but there was speculation that Gallagher was on the block cause talks broke down then 24 hours later he was signed. It's the nature of playing in Toronto and Montreal that whenever a player makes a public comment or his agent breaks off talks the rumors start flying.

They still have a cap to deal with and the ED I believe is going to be held before FA. Plus there are many many players headed to FA for Seattle to spend money on Hall, Danault, Laine, Ovechkin, RNH, Hamilton to name a few. I don't think Danault is a high on that list as you believe.

Danault is the best center available and the most likely to move of the high ranking centers available. Seattle is going to get a weak forward core from the draft. You'd be a fool to think Danault isnt penciled in as their 1C on every board in their office or that they don't have the most important position outside of goalie as a priority.

Didn’t mean to say he was, rather the implication of him being there. I was responding to the other MIN guy about how they could get him without trading Dumba.

Picking a pending UFA only means they get his rights until FA opens, at which time anybody can make an offer. Going after a UFA like that is risky business and its doubtful they do so.

when has MB ever said any player was ever on the block. He publicly stated Subban would never be traded right before be trading him. Gallagher and Danault negotiations are in no way the same just because gallaghers went that way doesnt mean Danaults would. I agree its very hard to swallow losing Danault but when you look at cap allocation for the coming season alongside what is already on the books its obvious that theres a solid chance Danault is in a different jersey next season. There several factors in that obviously if KK doesnt continue his progression then it will be a whole other story but i dont think that will be the case and if he pushes his way into the number 2 center spot then do you really want to pay your 3rd line center 5+ mil for the next 5-8 years? Especially when we have defensive minded young centers to fill out the bottom six that should be ready to take on more responsibility fairly soon. I think Danault knows theres multiple teams out there we he slots into the top 6 and i dont think the habs can assure him of the minutes he will want to be getting. The playoff shuffling was for sure just a test for what the young guys could do and if its any sign of things to come the team seems to be moving in the direction of danault being replaceable unless he wants a team friendly team that doesnt go past 5 years.

Danault is not a 1C. Full stop, no caveats, he is not a 1C. If you think he is, you are wrong. It's not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of fact.