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Potential Centre Targets For The Ottawa Senators

By Nicholas Robinson

OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 20: Owner of the Ottawa Senators Eugene Melnyk photographed during the 2008 NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place on June 20, 2008 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 20: Owner of the Ottawa Senators Eugene Melnyk photographed during the 2008 NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place on June 20, 2008 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Phillip Danault #24 of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
Phillip Danault #24 of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Phillip Danault – Montreal Canadiens (UFA)

Between Mike Reilly and Victor Mete, the Senators have had considerable success mining players from the Montreal Canadiens, which would lead to believe that Danault would be an excellent fit with the Senators.

Danault has rightfully garnered the reputation of being one of the premier defensive centres in the National Hockey League. Few players in the NHL suppress opposition offence better than the Victoriaville native. His offensive results have also been decent the past few years, as he’s formed a strong trio with Thomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher. Like the Canadiens, the Senators boast plenty of wing depth with a variety of skill sets, which gives them lots of options to find the right fit for the player.

The 28-year-old reportedly rejected a 5-year $25m deal ($5m AAV) with the Canadiens before this season. Analytics group EvolvingWild project his next contract to be in the 7-year $44.8m ($6.4m) range. However, Danault’s weaker than expected offensive output this season (5 goals, 24 points in 53 games) may soften the market on him.

As seen in the tweet below, Danault is in the upper echelon of defensive centre-icemen in the NHL and provides a steady amount of offensive impact. Although, he’s not a player that would help the Senators’ special teams, which have now struggled for several years.

Danault is definitely a more underrated option, as he’s not typically recognized as a first-line player, and a risky one given his recent ups and downs. If the Senators really want to take another step forward in 2021-22, they’re going to need to gamble. Given Danault’s track record, this may be very worth it.

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