Canadiens Acquire Danault from Kings for 2026 Pick

The Montreal Canadiens reacquired veteran center Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings on Friday evening, bolstering their injury-depleted lineup in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft originally acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The trade, announced by both teams just over an hour before the NHL's holiday roster freeze took effect on Saturday, returns the 32-year-old Quebec native to the organization where he spent six seasons from 2016 to 2021. Danault, a first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011, was initially traded to Montreal in February 2016 along with a second-round selection for forwards Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise. He signed a six-year, $33 million contract with the Kings as a free agent in 2021, leaving behind a Canadiens tenure that included 54 goals and 194 points in 360 games and culminated in a Stanley Cup Final appearance, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.

This season, Danault has struggled offensively with the Kings, recording five assists and no goals in 30 games while posting a plus-3 rating. He missed the past four games due to an illness and averaged 16 minutes and 19 seconds of ice time...