Ryan Cowley 
Photo credit: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The LA Kings opened the free agency period with a splash, inking forward Phillip Danault to a six-year contract.
It didn’t take long for the Kings to make noise.
Roughly two hours into the opening of the NHL’s free agency period, the Kings signed forward Phillip Danault to a six-year contract with an annual average value of $5.5 million according to Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake.
Welcome to Los Angeles, Phillip Danault!Â
The LA Kings have signed the forward to a six-year contract.
— LA Kings (@LAKings) July 28, 2021
A native of Victoriaville, Que., Danault is coming off a successful 2020-21 campaign where he was integral in helping the Montreal Canadiens reach their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993 — which happens to be the same year that the forward was born.
Danault, 28, scored five goals and 19 assists last season for the Habs, going in hand with a plus-9 rating in 53 regular-season games. He also added four points (1-3=4) in 22 playoff games while solidifying himself as a bona fide defensive presence, shutting down the Maple Leafs, Jets, and the heavily-favoured Vegas Golden Knights. Danault also led all Montreal forwards during the regular-season in shorthanded time on ice and shorthanded time on ice per game. He also led all NHL forwards in shorthanded time on ice and faceoff wins during the playoffs.
Standing at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Danault joins his third NHL team after beginning with the Chicago Blackhawks and spending the last five-and-a-half seasons with the Canadiens.
The Kings will hope Danault will leave an immediate impact when the 2021-22 season gets underway.
We will see what the silver-and-black have in store next. Just prior to the Danault signing, the Kings re-signed Andreas Athanasiou to a one-year deal.