The Montreal Canadiens made a notable move ahead of the NHL roster freeze, as they acquired forward Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. 

Danault had been a popular name in the rumor mill over the last few weeks, and the Canadiens were one of the clubs heavily linked to him. Now, he is officially a Hab again and will be looking to make a big impact from here.

It is no secret that Danault is joining the Canadiens in the middle of what has been a tough season for him thus far. In 30 games with the Kings this season before the move, he posted zero goals and five assists. 

Yet, while Danault struggled with the Kings this season, there is clear reason to believe that he can turn things back around with the Canadiens. His recent seasons also indicate that he has the potential to heat back up. 

Danault recorded over 40 points in each of his four previous seasons. This included this past season, as the 32-year-old center posted eight goals and 43 points in 80 games for the Kings in 2024-25. 

Given Danault's recent success, the possibility of him bouncing back with the Canadiens should not be ruled out. This is especially so when noting that he proved to be a great fit on the Canadiens' roster during his first stint there, as he recorded 54 goals, 140 assists, 194 points, and a plus-47 rating in 360 games with Montreal from 2015-16 to 2020-21.