Last Friday, the Los Angeles Kings And Montreal Canadiens has reached a deal that sends Phillip Danault back to Montreal in exchange for a second-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft.
Although nearly a week has passed since the trade was made, rumors continue to swirl around the complicated rift between Danault and the Kings.
Advertisement
According to David Pagnotta, “The Fourth Periods”, Carolina Hurricanes were interested in acquiring the 32-year-old veteran center, but talks fell through as the Kings were apparently not interested in a certain asset offered by Carolina. Instead, Ken Holland and the Los Angeles front office decided to accept the Canadiens’ offer.
The Carolina Hurricanes have reportedly offered the Kings a package surrounding Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Los Angeles was apparently not interested in moving the 25-year-old forward. The Kings are reportedly not interested in taking on Kotkanienmi’s infamous contract.
The former third overall pick is currently in the fourth year of a massive eight-year contract that pays him $4,820,000 per year. He is currently underperforming as the Canes’ third-line center. In 20 games this season, Kotkaniemi has two goals and four assists for six points.
Despite seemingly having a lot of potential and being drafted high, the Finnish native has only recorded one 40+ point season, which came again in 2022-23 when he recorded 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points in 82 games during his second season with Carolina.
Advertisement
Like Kotkaniemi, Danault has also struggled as he remains goalless with just five assists in 31 games played this season. While he wasn’t counted on to fill up the stat sheet every night, Danault was still a consistent 40+ point guy for the Kings, so it’s not surprising that a Stanley Cup contending team like the Hurricanes would have interest in trading for him.
“I had no goal”: Danault speaks for the first time since the exchange with the kings
A trade involving the two struggling and possibly disgruntled centers seems reasonable, as both could greatly benefit from a change of scenery, but ultimately the Kings would not have been interested in paying out the remaining four years of Kotkaniemi’s contract. So they chose to send Danault back to Montreal, where he originally made his name. While Carolina keeps Kotkaniemi and potentially learns how teams value him across the league.
Picture
For action-packed issues, access to the full magazine archives and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trends by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
