"If you've been keeping an ear to the ground around the Los Angeles Kings' facility lately, the noise has shifted. What was once the steady hum of a team relying on its defensive backbone has turned into the distinct, uncomfortable buzz of trade chatter. And at the center of that storm - literally and figuratively - is Phillip Danault. It's not often you see a player of Danault's pedigree surface in rumors this early in the winter."
"Through 28 games, Danault has zero goals. None. For a guy who has been a consistent 40-point producer and who tallied 70 goals in his first 319 games in L.A., that drop-off isn't just a slump; it's a cliff. He's sitting on five assists for the season. That is a tough pill to swallow for a middle-six center carrying a $5.5 million cap hit."
"Related - NHL Rumors: McDavid & Crosby Moves, Danault to Canadiens, Tanev Status Elliotte Friedman dropped a line recently that stuck with me: "Father Time... has finally gotten to Phillip Danault." It's a harsh assessment for a 32-year-old, but the league is getting younger and faster by the minute. When the offense dries up this completely, it forces you to ask if we are watching a rough patch or a permanent regression."
Phillip Danault has produced zero goals and five assists through 28 games, marking a dramatic offensive decline from his prior consistent 40-point output and 70 goals in 319 L.A. games. His primary value as a shutdown, two-way center—winning faceoffs, suppressing opponents, and neutral-zone control—remains, but the modern NHL increasingly requires secondary scoring from premium-paid defensive specialists. At a $5.5 million cap hit and age 32, the performance drop has generated trade chatter and prompted questions about whether this represents a temporary slump or a longer-term regression.
Read at The Hockey Writers
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