Player Discussion Phillip Danault II: 2nd C? edition

[Cobra Commander]

Was he playing with Radulov and Pacioretty last season also? Because he was on pace for those 40 points again.

Is he playing with Pacioretty and Radulov this season? Because he's on pace for 43 points with 0 PP minutes!

4th line center right there!

He’s only on pace for 43 because he is playing out of position on a first line again with our best wingers, he is a 20 point guy on the 3rd line, he doesn’t play on the PP because he lacks offensive skill.
Ideally he is your 4th line center if you are a cup contender, you want your 3rd line center to have a little more offensive skill.

 

[Belial]

He’s only on pace for 43 because he is playing out of position on a first line again with our best wingers, he is a 20 point guy on the 3rd line, he doesn’t play on the PP because he lacks offensive skill.
Ideally he is your 4th line center if you are a cup contender, you want your 3rd line center to have a little more offensive skill.

The year he was apparently being carried... and his stats were inflated...

Pacioretty-Danault-Radulov 37GP 16P .43 ppg

Pacioretty-Danault-Gallagher 8GP 5P .62 ppg

Pacioretty-Danault-Shaw 5GP 3P .60 ppg

Lehkonen-Danault-Shaw 8GP 6P .75 ppg

Danault-Mitchell-Flynn 13GP 6P .46 ppg

Now tell me how he inflated his stats on that top line? He actually produced more away from Radulov as bizarre that could sound!

 

[BaseballCoach]

The year he was apparently being carried... and his stats were inflated...

Pacioretty-Danault-Radulov 37GP 16P .43 ppg

Pacioretty-Danault-Gallagher 8GP 5P .62 ppg

Pacioretty-Danault-Shaw 5GP 3P .60 ppg

Lehkonen-Danault-Shaw 8GP 6P .75 ppg

Danault-Mitchell-Flynn 13GP 6P .46 ppg

Now tell me how he inflated his stats on that top line? He actually produced more away from Radulov as bizarre that could sound!

Good job. You are reporting facts. His ES numbers are second line level.

 

[Belial]

Good job. You are reporting facts. His ES numbers are second line level.

Not just second line level, they're close to being low first line center...

It's actually weird that he's able to produce so many even strength points without having elite offensive talent...

43 even strength points is up there with the best centers in the league...

 

[DAChampion]

Not just second line level, they're close to being low first line center...

It's actually weird that he's able to produce so many even strength points without having elite offensive talent...

43 even strength points is up there with the best centers in the league...

I agree Danault is weird, but in a good way. He's basically playing his own game independently of his linemates.

 

[Belial]

I agree Danault is weird, but in a good way. He's basically playing his own game independently of his linemates.

I still think there's more in him! I won't be surprised if he hits 50 points this season!

He has a terrible SH% this season, only the clearly snakebitten Lehkonen and the never able to put it in Armia are worse than him...

Danault 4.76 %
Lehkonen 4.00%
Armia 3.33%

If those 3 can start scoring some goals, watch out stie! Because the chances are there, all of them generate a ton of chances.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Danault is like the center version of Zach Hyman. You just plug him in next to 2 skilled guys, and the guy will do the dirty work to allow his linemates to flourish offensively. This is why I don't mind him with Tatar and Gallagher at all. It's no coincidence that no matter who he is with produces.

 

[Cobra Commander]

The year he was apparently being carried... and his stats were inflated...

Pacioretty-Danault-Radulov 37GP 16P .43 ppg

Pacioretty-Danault-Gallagher 8GP 5P .62 ppg

Pacioretty-Danault-Shaw 5GP 3P .60 ppg

Lehkonen-Danault-Shaw 8GP 6P .75 ppg

Danault-Mitchell-Flynn 13GP 6P .46 ppg

Now tell me how he inflated his stats on that top line? He actually produced more away from Radulov as bizarre that could sound!

That right there is proof that he doesn’t produce well with talented wingers. They produce despite him like I have been saying. He’s better suited to play with 3rd or 4th liners. He’s a 3rd/4th line center, he’s nowhere near offensively talented enough to produce on top lines. He’s good a what he does, let’s use him properly and with the right wingers.

 

[Cobra Commander]

Good job. You are reporting facts. His ES numbers are second line level.

That’s great, build a team and have him as your 2nd line center, see where that gets you.

 

[Mrb1p]

The year he was apparently being carried... and his stats were inflated...

Pacioretty-Danault-Radulov 37GP 16P .43 ppg

Pacioretty-Danault-Gallagher 8GP 5P .62 ppg

Pacioretty-Danault-Shaw 5GP 3P .60 ppg

Lehkonen-Danault-Shaw 8GP 6P .75 ppg

Danault-Mitchell-Flynn 13GP 6P .46 ppg

Now tell me how he inflated his stats on that top line? He actually produced more away from Radulov as bizarre that could sound!

What if you add the PPG from the first three lines and the PPG from the last two ? ... Yeah, I know, it makes Danault look worse.

 

[Belial]

That right there is proof that he doesn’t produce well with talented wingers. They produce despite him like I have been saying. He’s better suited to play with 3rd or 4th liners. He’s a 3rd/4th line center, he’s nowhere near offensively talented enough to produce on top lines. He’s good a what he does, let’s use him properly and with the right wingers.

Lol man... You just said he produced because he was carried!

And now you change your stance again?

Please...

 

[Belial]

What if you add the PPG from the first three lines and the PPG from the last two ? ... Yeah, I know, it makes Danault look worse.

How exactly does that make Danault look worse?

All those stats were brought up to show that he was not carried and his stats were not inflated by playing on the top line!

And I'm not arguing here that he's a #1 center in this league!

I'm just trying to say he's a solid #3/#2 center.

No chance in hell is this guy a 4th line center!

If he's your 4th line center, you're stacked af at center!

 

[BaseballCoach]

That’s great, build a team and have him as your 2nd line center, see where that gets you.

I want him as our third line center, capable of producing 2nd line numbers at ES.

We're already benefitting NOW from having him, Domi and Kotkaniemi rolling through for 50 minutes per game.

 

[Mrb1p]

How exactly does that make Danault look worse?

All those stats were brought up to show that he was not carried and his stats were not inflated by playing on the top line!

And I'm not arguing here that he's a #1 center in this league!

I'm just trying to say he's a solid #3/#2 center.

No chance in hell is this guy a 4th line center!

If he's your 4th line center, you're stacked af at center!

Even for a moment, that we would agree that his production is adequate for the first line, why keep him there, if he produces as much on the 3rd line as the fourth line ?

Wouldn't you want to maximize your return on the investment ?

 

[Belial]

I want him as our third line center, capable of producing 2nd line numbers at ES.

We're already benefitting NOW from having him, Domi and Kotkaniemi rolling through for 50 minutes per game.

Yeah exactly, that line is taking care of the best lines and give more opportunities to guys like Domi and Kotka to flourish! Like seriously...

 

[Mrb1p]

Yeah exactly, that line is taking care of the best lines and give more opportunities to guys like Domi and Kotka to flourish! Like seriously...

Why not let Kotka and Domi play offensively with the best offensive wingers (Gally, Drouin, Lekhonen, Tatar,) and ...

WAIT FOR IT

....
....

Let Danault take the defensive matchups ON THE THIRD LINE ????????????????????????

 

[admiralcadillac]

Danault is like the center version of Zach Hyman. You just plug him in next to 2 skilled guys, and the guy will do the dirty work to allow his linemates to flourish offensively. This is why I don't mind him with Tatar and Gallagher at all. It's no coincidence that no matter who he is with produces.

I think danault is a better player than hyman

 

[Cobra Commander]

Lol man... You just said he produced because he was carried!

And now you change your stance again?

Please...

He doesn’t produce enough points to be a top 6 player, producing 40 points on a 1st line is pathetic. He’s not talented enough. That’s the reality of it, he’s still a useful player.

 

[Belial]

He doesn’t produce enough points to be a top 6 player, producing 40 points on a 1st line is pathetic. He’s not talented enough. That’s the reality of it, he’s still a useful player.

Watch the games man! He's a big part of that line! And that whole line is killing it right now!

The points are not always there but he's able to make his linemates flourish even if he doesn't have the skill of a Domi or Drouin.

It's all about that balance.

 

[BaseballCoach]

He doesn’t produce enough points to be a top 6 player, producing 40 points on a 1st line is pathetic. He’s not talented enough. That’s the reality of it, he’s still a useful player.

If he is producing 40 points that actually IS FIRST LINE PRODUCTION, at even strength!!

Last year 82 forwards scored 40 points not including PP.

There are 93 first line forwards.

Your idea of pathetic is not in tune with reality.

 

[Archijerej]

Regarding the demotion of Danault, here's an interesting bit from the latest Marc Dumont piece from The Athletic:

"Tomas Tatar is on pace for 69-point season, Brendan Gallagher is on pace for a 56-point season and Philip Danault is on pace for a 43-point season, but don't be surprised if those numbers go up significantly in the near future. In fact, they should have scored a few more goals already, given how well they've played.

To give you an idea of how dominant the line has been, while they've been on the ice this season the Canadiens have controlled over 66 per cent of the shot attempts and 60 per cent of the scoring chances. Those are the kind of numbers we see from elite lines a few games into the season.

Now that we're just one shy of the 20-game mark, the Danault line's performance might just be for real."

 

[NotProkofievian]

Well, this is at least an upgrade in conversation relevance: at least Danault is still one of our players. And yes, I'm sure Danault's magical 50+ point season is just around the corner.

 

[The Great Weal]

I'm sorry but Danault is not good offensively. His assist tonight was based on a f*** up. He fumbles an easy pass for a grade a chance and gally does all the work for a tatar goal. Kotkaniemi should be on that line. I honestly think he'd be near ppg if he was given gally and tatar and first wave pp.

 

[Archijerej]

Dismantling a productive line (and simultaneously your primary matchup line) for the benefit of one individual, however talented, is such a bizzare idea that I can't even begin to explain. It's absolutely contrary to how the coaches think the game, which they do in terms of lines and units. What do you expect to achieve with such a move? Gallagher and Tatar start producing more than they currently are? The third line based around Danault and Lehkonen will be more productive? We will somehow shut down the best opponents better? The only results that I see is a possible slight increase in Kotkaniemi's production at the expense of completely screwing up the balance that we currently have throughout the forward lines. It's such a fantasy-league move that it's downright funny.

 

[G0bias]

Dismantling a productive line (and simultaneously your primary matchup line) for the benefit of one individual, however talented, is such a bizzare idea that I can't even begin to explain. It's absolutely contrary to how the coaches think the game, which they do in terms of lines and units. What do you expect to achieve with such a move? Gallagher and Tatar start producing more than they currently are? The third line based around Danault and Lehkonen will be more productive? We will somehow shut down the best opponents better? The only results that I see is a possible slight increase in Kotkaniemi's production at the expense of completely screwing up the balance that we currently have throughout the forward lines. It's such a fantasy-league move that it's downright funny.

If they feel it's the necessary next step for him and more importantly one that will benefit the team down the line, there's no valid reason not to. In that case, what's the end-game with playing Danault on the top line, exactly?

No offense but this is exactly the kind of short-term mentality that plagued the team for the better part of Bergevin's tenure and lead us to where we are now. Team needs to change its approach because that one hasn't worked for them.