Phillip Danault has elevated his game with the Los Angeles Kings
By Jim Lynch
The Los Angeles Kings are having a great season. After going through a rebuild the past few seasons they seem to be getting back on the map as a playoff contender in the Pacific Division, and it really did not take too long. One reason for the quick turnaround has to be Phillip Danault.
The Los Angeles Kings signed Phillip Danault to a long 5.5 million dollar contract that runs through the 2026-27 season. Danault is going to be a big part of the Kings for a long time and that is great news for the franchise as he has been the number two center this team has needed for a while.
Danault joined the Kings after helping to lead the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final. While he was not too active during the regular season that year, he was a big threat in the playoffs registering 38 hits, blocking 24 shots, and being a big defensive threat for the Canadiens.
With the Los Angeles Kings, Phillip Danault has an opportunity to become one of the leaders for the Selke vote every season.
So far this season Danault has put up 22 points and has an incredible faceoff percentage winning 55.6 percent of his draws. His possession numbers have never been better with a 56.6 corsi percentage through 41 games.
The Kings are having a fantastic turnaround season, and you can bet a big reason for their success has to be Phillip Danault. Just look at the tale of the former team he played for. After losing Danault the Canadiens are falling in the standings and had a general manager change.
There are a lot of other factors for the downfall of the Canadiens, but one reason has to be losing Danault. Danault and the Kings are going to be a threat for a long time in the Pacific Division, and Kings fans should be happy as things are only going to get better for them.
One thing is for sure though, if this team makes it into the playoffs they could be a real threat to win a few rounds with how good they have been all around the past few months.