Phillip Danault may be struggling with the Los Angeles Kings this season, but there appears to be a robust trade market for theveteran centre.
Danault’s agent, Allan Walsh, denied a report this week that the 32-year-old had requested a trade, but TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports plenty of teams are still calling the Kings with interest in making a deal.
With just 24 hours remaining before the holiday roster freeze, it appears the odds favour a deal coming together after trade action can resume.
“It’s a complicated situation,” LeBrun explained Thursday on Early Trading. “He’s not a rental player, he’s got another year on his deal at $5.5 million, and for the Kings, it’s not like they’re a seller. They’re a perennial playoff team and they intend to be in the playoffs again.
“So if they do trade Phillip Danault, my understanding is they’ve told other teams ‘We need help, we need offence. We don’t want draft picks and prospects that can’t help us today.’ They would rather make a deal where it’s a traditional hockey deal where they get help now. I don’t know how easy that is to do, especially in the next 24 hours. It might be something that needs to play out here between now and March 6, but they’re getting calls on him.
“Among the teams that have called are Montreal, New Jersey, Utah, a long list of teams – all the teams that you can think of that need help at centre have obviously checked in with LA because it’s so rare for centres to be available. He has zero goals on the season, his role’s been reduced, but centres just don’t get dealt so that’s why there’s still lots of attention on him.”
Danault has just five assists in 30 games with the Kings this season while averaging 16:19 of ice time. It’s been a steep drop-off after he posted eight goals and 43 points in 80 games last season, topping the 40-point mark for the fourth straight year. He was at his best in the playoffs, posting two goals and eight points in six games during a first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Victoriaville, Que. native joined the Kings as a free agent in 2021 after six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens.
Selected 26th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 draft, Danault has 125 goals and 399 points over 741 career games.
