Now on the back side of his six-year contract with the Kings, Phil Danault has already produced the three best offensive years of his NHL career while in Los Angeles. There’s also last year to contend with as part of the conversation.
Offensively, it was very un-Danault like, producing just eight goals — his fewest over an 82-game season since becoming a full-time NHL player with the Canadiens in 2016.
“From the trade deadline on, we were one of the top scoring teams in the league,” said coach Jim Hiller, focusing on LA’s balanced attack from their top three lines. “Phil was just snake bitten last year. His chances were probably similar to the year before, he just was snake bitten. And when you get snake bitten sometimes, it just never feels good again. So, we wiped that slate clean for Phil. Of course, he had a good playoff; he was scoring again. So, we’re not worried about that part of it.”
To help with that summertime cleansing, Danault went back home to Quebec and spent as much time as possible hanging out in his happy place.
“I traveled a little bit and spent time with my family; it’s just fun to be around the kids for a full day,” shared the 32-year-old center, before getting to the real story.
“I also took care of the greenhouse I have at home,” he said while flashing one of the biggest smiles we’ve ever seen from Danault. “Vegetables, that’s my thing. I love it! That’s my time. I can spend hours in there every day. It’s not the biggest, but it’s fun to just to be in there. It’s my own space.”
We then went on to talk vegetables for quite some time — including the fact that he eats most of them and gives a small amount to a few of his neighbors back home — before the conversation eventually made its way back to hockey.
“Obviously, we all know each other well — Mooresy and [Foegele], we have some chemistry,” remarked Danault; speaking positively about being reunited with two familiar linemates during training camp thus far. “We finished strong last season, so we want to start this year the same way we finished. Not only as a line, but as a team, as well. The lines were going well, all of them. That should give us a little edge to start this year.”
From his earliest days in Southern California, Danault has always felt like a King. There’s just something about his demeanor, his approach to the game; it’s like he’s been here his whole career. It’s been a common theme to many of our conversations through the years and this time, we circled back for an update on his initial comments about Anze Kopitar when he first arrived in LA in the summer of 2021.
“Now, it feels I’ve been here with Kopitar since I was a rookie,” he said with a big laugh. “Two years ago, I was having a beer with him one night, and he told me, ‘I want to play 20 years in this league.’ And here we are, he’s playing his 20th. It’s just awesome to see him doing this and doing it at a high level too. He’s not just here to be here. He gives it the best he can every night. He can play key minutes, he can be big on draws, and he can score some goals. He’s been a mentor for me since day one when I got here five years ago. I continue to look up to him. He’s a great two-way player and he’s a legend — officially.”
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