This is like signing a top 4D that can take faceoffs and kill penalties. You aren't paying him for his production.
Not the best fit on a team that can struggle offensively, but LA just became that much more difficult to score against.

Too much money and term imo, but an asset worth having when cap isn't tight.

He proved to be a shutdown 3C that can't provide offence against good teams. This isn't a good contract for what he brings.

I'm a Danault fan, but this is about $1M too much for 2 years too long.

He was probably Montréal’s most important forward. He (along with Gallagher and Lehkonen/Evans) were tasked with shutting down the other team’s top forwards, and were a very major part of why the habs even won a round. He’s one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL.

Going to say this will be one of the better signings out of today.

Kings are rebuilding nicely as well, unlike some other western teams based on their moves these past few weeks.

The writing has been on the wall but this is still upsetting
I feel the same way, I really liked him and the team will feel different without him

Wooooow, he wanted that 6th year baaaaad. Good riddance.

So habs fans are already at it I see. Part of the reason why no one wants to play in Montréal is because as soon as you leave the fans keep talking about how garbage you are, and boo every single former hab that ever touches the puck at the Bell Centre. Stop lying to yourself, because bitterness isn’t better than sadness.

wouldve been a great fit on a contender....kinda wasted on LA, where he will be kicked down the depth chart by their young players by the time they compete- and that contract will be a huge anchor. it will look awful in 2 or 3 years.

It's like paying the other team's top players to not score. How much would you pay to limit Matthews to 1 goal in a playoff series? Kyle Connor? Vegas' entire top line? How about all of those in one year, in succession?

Yikes. This contract won't age well.

Show me an equivalent to Danault making 5.5m...it's too much. He's great if you have the right matchup and not good if you don't. The Tampa series proved that. He's a 4.5m player at most. It's not a slight to him at all. I would love to have Danault back at a cheaper price, but he'll become the permanent 3C in LA within 2.5 years, which is one thing he complained about with the Habs.

The language and the taxes scare some people away from Quebec. The extra scrutiny doesnt help either- some thrive on it, but its the same thing in Toronto, New York and on a smaller scale in other Canadian teams.

so much pain

Come on now. I love the guy. I defended him and always said he was fulfilling his 1C duties. But this is a bad contract for the Kings.

Also, I loose a lot of respect for the guy. This signing proves it wasn't about the role or the money. He just really wanted out of Montreal.

Can you show me any player who compares to Danault’s level of defence & offence, because I don’t know if there’s been anyone like him in the cap era. Or the 1C of a team in the cup finals who wasn’t worth at least this percentage of the cap.

Patrice Bergeron? Anze Kopitar?

Phil Danault was a 2C playing a matchup. Anthony Cirelli was also 2C on his ELC, 2019/2020. Won the Cup at age 23 playing shutdown 20 mins per night, slightly better offensively, slightly worse defensively. His following contract was 5.89% and is still an RFA at the end. Danault at age 28 signs for 6.75% of the cap after losing in the Cup finals at age 28 and signs into his mid 30s where the contract is more likely to get worse.

Great signing out of the clear blue sky. If he does what we want him to do and hope he'll do for the first four years of his contract, what the heck do we care how he plays after Byfield, Turcotte and Vilardi have matured?

Difficult comparison because Cirelli only had to negotiate with Tampa, while Danault got to negotiate on the open market. UFA and RFA contracts aren't a fair comparison.

Cirelli signed a bridge deal, on a longer term deal he wouldve got a higher AAV

Cirelli got less because he signed in Tampa Bay (where everyone takes less) and had no leverage at all. No arbitration and no other teams that he can sign with, and playing on a team extremely tight to the cap. So of course he’s going to get underpaid.

Noooooooooo not danault

Two years later ...

Kopitar
Vilardi
Iafallo
Byfield
Turcotte
Kupari
Dolan
Thomas
Madden
Danault

$1.25m too much. Kings are going to regret this. Fans are going to hate it. Very quickly. Take care Phil. I'd take Hoffman & Paquette 10/10 times for that cost.