Phillip Danault has been playing for the Los Angeles Kings for a year and a half. Under the Californian sun, he spins the perfect fortune.

As in his good years at Montreal, the Quebecer has made his defensive work a priority. Since playing under Todd McLellan, however, he’s been letting his offensive skills run free.

Before Saturday’s game against the Habs, Danault had 19 points in 29 games. A pace of 0.65 points per duel, similar to last season, his first with the Kings.

“I felt Rob Blake’s confidence [directeur général] and Luc Robaille [président] from the start as soon as they put me into the organization,” said Danault, who played the 500th regular game of his NHL career on Thursday.

“The coaches trust me too. First I had to earn my spot. Then I was outnumbered in front of goal. This year I was placed on the ramp and it’s going well.

A roll on the massive attack. That’s what Danault would have wished for during his stint with the Canadiens. He performed there a few times, but rather sporadically.

“It was important to me. I wanted to take my career to another level. I wanted to exploit another facet of my game, he said. I also believed in my abilities. I needed the little pat on the back to spread my wings. That’s what they gave me in LA.”

More than a reputation

Under the colors of Bleu-Blanc-Rouge, Danault showed beautiful offensive flashes. He maintained his rate of 0.65 points per game in the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. However, his league-wide reputation rested more on his defensive efficiency.

The Kings head coach is a good example of how Danault was perceived when he played in Montreal.

“What we thought we had when we took over Phil, we have. But a very different package followed, McLellan said after his team’s morning practice session on Saturday. But his offensive skills are at a very high level.

Despite this, Danault remains a specialist in defensive play. At 29, he begins to influence his teammates. In addition, his style of play serves as a role model for young Kings players.

“He has the ability not only to win faceoffs, but to win fights for the disc. He uses his body very well, he’s strong on his skates, he has a good stick, McLellan listed. It often happens that we make clips of him to do video sessions and teach our young players.

The trust of his teammates

Kings veterans can also find their account at Danault. His work ethic and enthusiasm for the game quickly made him a valued and accepted teammate.

“The guys who won the Stanley Cup and are still on the team want to get another chance. They want Rob Blake and our management team to add players to our roster so they can improve their luck. They want to be able to trust the incoming players. And Phil gained that confidence quickly,” added McLellan.

Happy for Captain Suzuki

Despite playing across the continent, Phillip Danault continues to keep an eye on what’s happening in Montreal. And not just to know if it’s snowing or if there’s frost on the ground.

He observes how his old formation behaves. And when he looks at the stats, he doesn’t fall off his chair when he sees the names of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield at the top of the list.

“’Suz’ is a great player. From the moment he arrived we could see that he had the right attitude and that the maturity was there. I’m not surprised he became captain either. I would have made the same choice.

When the Canadians took over their future captain in September 2018 in exchange for Max Pacioretty, Danault entered his fourth full season in Montreal.

Team management saw him as the ideal mentor for their rookie and decided to set them up side by side in the dressing room.

“I will not praise what he has become. The honor belongs to him. From the start, his attitude was different from everyone else’s. His maturity was there from the start, he stressed. I may have adjusted it a bit. Maybe I helped him feel good. But I didn’t have to keep him on track. He’s super straight.”

Caufield the sniper

Caufield is another youngster that Danault was fortunate to bring into the NHL. As with Suzuki, he quickly recognized his teammate’s abilities.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he scores so many goals. Cole, he’s a sniper. I remember him scoring big goals for us in the Stanley Cup final. He also plays with Nick, who is an excellent passer and also a very good shot.

We don’t know if Danault gave Caufield any advice, but we’ll recall they shared a slice of pizza on the night of Saint-Jean-Baptiste 2021 following the win that propelled the Habs into the Grand Final.