You remember the legendary Loto-Québec ad from the 90s: “Sylvie’s husband had all the numbers of Extra, but he said no thanks.” That’s what comes to mind when I think of what the Canadian did with Phillip Danault.
Montreal said “no thank you” and turned around to say “yes thank you” to Brendan Gallagher by giving him $39 million for a six-year contract, including $6.5 million per year.
The Kings offered Danault $33 million, or $5.5 million per year for six years. And the deal was ketchup. The Canadian offered him $5 million per year, so $500,000 less.
That’s a lot of money, $500,000. But in NHL hockey terms, that’s a handful of peanuts. That’s less than 1% of the team’s payroll.
You know the rest of the story. Not keeping Phillip Danault, while giving even more to Brendan Gallagher, is unequivocally one of the worst decisions of the modern Canadian.
Photo Martin Chevalier
Second pointer for CH since
Since leaving Montreal, Danault has collected 152 points in three seasons. Only Nick Suzuki did better at CH. Often injured, Gallagher had 69, with a differential of -39.
And what is most impressive about Danault’s offensive statistics is that he is best known for his defensive contribution. Imagine, his differential is +18 in three years even though he is the center player who faces Connor McDavid most often. He must also contain the attack of the Golden Knights, other section rivals.
He was the one who was let leave Montreal, without even giving him a party or a cake. As if he didn’t deserve us by asking for so many millions of dollars.
Photo Martin Chevalier
As if we liked him when he exceeded expectations. When he played better than his contractual value. We thought it was great to see a little guy from our area doing that too. But to pay him like the best players (even if he was certainly one), that was unthinkable. All this while he took his team to the Stanley Cup final.
Evans will replace him!
Don’t tell me that all the fans absolutely wanted to sign Danault at all costs. This is false. It was controversial, but far from a scandal when he moved to Los Angeles. Many even felt that the Kings risked regretting such a long and expensive contract for the Victoriaville center.
In Montreal, there was talk of Jake Evans, who was going to take his place. From Suzuki, which was going to gain ground. And we went to find Christian Dvorak. Everything was fine.
In the end, Danault made us look like hams. Evans and Dvorak are no match for Danault.
Nick Suzuki was excellent, but clearly overtaxed. He is one of the few top scorers on his team who has to play a lot shorthanded. He’s too important offensively for that, in my opinion.
Imagine Danault in place of Gallagher in the Canadiens lineup today. It changes a club. And all this is not against Gallagher. It’s amazing what this guy does to help his team. But I see the photo of Danault and Caufield with their pizza again. I’m thinking of Danault who can lighten Nick Suzuki’s work. I’m thinking of Kirby Dach who we see at 23 as a dominant second center after a two-game season. I tell myself that Danault would be more than important.
Photo Martin Chevalier
Should Phillip Danault have stayed in Montreal before Gallagher, because he is a Quebecer? No.
But did he deserve more money, because he is from Quebec? Yes.
You just have to listen to him in his press briefings in Quebec during the Kings’ visit to see what an extraordinary ambassador he was, and would be, for the Canadian.
There is his style of play, but also his accessibility, his humor, his frankness and above all his smile. That’s what I like most about him. He looks happy and seems to love hockey like my 9 year old nephew. And that’s a change from some other players.
Danault’s departure is another nasty lesson in our inability to appreciate our talents here when they are still in our backyard. It seems that we are incapable of reasonably evaluating them. We let them go and admire them when they are elsewhere. And we end up with Josh Anderson who we pay more for.
Russell Martin earned $82 million with the Blue Jays between 2025 and 2020. Was that too much? Yes. Was his game worth that salary? No. Did the Jays regret paying him that much? No way. The catcher has become a crowd favorite, an ambassador and an example to so many young Canadians that it is possible to play major league baseball even if you grow up in the snow.
Phillip Danault did not deserve $82 million. But he certainly deserved what they refused to pay him in Montreal. And if some believed that the contract was going to be heavy for the Kings, let’s say that it’s quite the opposite in the end. Danault deserved even more than his value for what he would have continued to represent in Quebec and for the role of paid ambassador that he would have played for the Canadian.
