The Kings signed one of most coveted free agents on the market, agreeing to a six-year, $33 million contract with center Phillip Danault.
Danault, 28, had emerged as a defensive force for the Montreal Canadiens, who reached the Stanley Cup Final last season.
While he didn’t get the ice time of perennial Selke Trophy contenders like Patrice Bergeron and Anze Kopitar, Danault finished in the top seven in voting in each of the past three seasons.
He has earned a reputation as one of the league’s top penalty killers as well as a player capable of dictating pace with his two-way excellence. Despite a poor first half last season offensively, Danault is a capable offensive player who has topped 50 points in a season.
He also gives the Kings a player who excels in the face-off circle, an area where they were inconsistent and largely ineffective last season. Montreal deployed him liberally for defensive-zone draws. He led the Canadiens in face-off percentage and plus-minus rating over the past three campaigns.
More to come on this story.
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