Player Discussion POLL? On a contender Danault is a:

[Habs Icing]

Want to see where fans place Danault. Forget about Suzuki and KK being on the team. What line does Danault take up on a typical contender?

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[General Fanager]

Elite #3
Elite penalty killer.
fill in on the 2nd line when needed
time on the 2nd PP also

He is a very valuable asset

 

[DesmondDekker]

This will be lopsided

 

[Habs Icing]

This will be lopsided

Looks like it. Now we just have to decide what is fair payment for a #3 center.

 

[Habs Icing]

Elite #3
Elite penalty killer.
fill in on the 2nd line when needed
time on the 2nd PP also

He is a very valuable asset

If KK lives up to the fans' expectations, Danault should see time on the PP only when an epidemic of injuries strikes the team.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

People get confused and think a defensive center is automatically a #3. But what center you are on a team is defined by your TOI. Danault is the type to match up with opponents top centers and is thus a top 2 caliber center.

 

[DAChampion]

If KK lives up to the fans' expectations, Danault should see time on the PP only when an epidemic of injuries strikes the team.

If just one of KK or Suzuki is injured then Danault should be on the second unit.

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

It depends. On a team like Boston, he's an elite #3C. On a team like Dallas, he's probably your #2C. On the Islanders, I don't think he's THAT much behind Nelson, and he's way better than Pageau by my standards.

I also don't think you can look around the league and find any 3C who is CLEARLY better than Danault.

He's a fine asset, he can play multiple roles, and I think he's going to be worth much more than anyone here think. I would not be surprised if Winnipeg entertained trading one of Ehlers or Laine to Montreal for a package involving Danault.

 

[bobholly39]

I guess i'll go against the grain and vote option #2.
I would have voted option #3 but I think the "get paid like a #3" is a stretch. I don't like the "can temporarily fill in as #1" in option 2 either, as he shouldn't be a #1.

On a contender he's a #2 or #3 center. Clearly he's shown this year he could play as a #1 - but it doesn't mean he should of course, he's not good enough to do so if you want to contend.

Put him on a team like Pittsburgh or Edmonton or Toronto and he's the perfect #3, and extremely valuable and helps them contend. But there are probably many other contending teams without 2 elite centers where he'd slot in very nicely as a #2.

As for payment - if your vision is "pay him as a #3" we simply won't keep him. Kevin Hayes got 7M+ in Philly, and in my opinion was quite worst than Danault should look going into UFA next year. People thinking Danault will accept 4-5M$ long-term are dreaming imo. He'll command 6-7M$, possibly even more if he goes UFA chasing top $$.

 

[le_sean]

He's like Pageau on the Isles. Deserves the same contract. Technically on the 3rd line, but it doesn't mean he's a 3rd liner.

If Suzuki or KK get hurt, you know Danault can be put with Tatar and Gallagher and form a pretty good line. Pretty valuable asset to have.

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

Depending on its makeup, a team certainly can win with Danault as their 2nd line C. I have no doubt about it. Hell. The only guy I'd actually go ahead and wager money on him becoming a much superior center to Danault in the whole Habs organization is Suzuki. I think people put A LOT of faith in Kotkaniemi for what was an interesting playoffs run, but still nothing to write home about. A lot of flashes, but not as much substance and scoring chances generation.

But he certainly has the potential to become a better player than Danault, is younger, bigger, more physical, and less expensive. It makes perfect sense to bet on a guy like that.

Once again, in my mind, the right thing to do would be to unload Domi and keep Danault for an extra year. The worst thing to do would be to keep all 4 guys here. If we do, we're guaranteed AT LEAST one of those scenarios;

- Domi is playing on the 4th line and pouts, his production goes down, and his value takes a serious hit.
- Domi is playing wing on the top-6 but is pouting because he's not playing C. His production on the wing has always been pitiful, and his value takes a hit.
- Danault plays 3C with strictly defensive responsibilities and is unhappy. Leaves after the year is over.
- Kotkaniemi gets little playing time because Julien likes his veterans and ends up on the 4th line before the first month of the season is over.

There's a pretty good possibility at least 2 of those scenarios come true if we keep all four guys. To me, trading Danault is sub-optimal. But if it's the way the management wants to go, I don't mind. For this team's sake for both the short and long term, you can't keep all 4.

 

[Habs Icing]

He's like Pageau on the Isles. Deserves the same contract. Technically on the 3rd line, but it doesn't mean he's a 3rd liner.

If Suzuki or KK get hurt, you know Danault can be put with Tatar and Gallagher and form a pretty good line. Pretty valuable asset to have.

5 million for Danault is reasonable. Anything more and I start to hem and haw.

 

[le_sean]

5 million for Danault is reasonable. Anything more and I start to hem and haw.

I agree, but he's had better offensive seasons than Pageau, so he has the right to ask for more. I'd sign him at $5m, but I wouldn't go over that.

 

[Miller Time]

the role (#3 who can play top 6 if needed) is one thing... the "paid as" is irrelevant because it's more common for any team, including cup winners, to have 1 or more players who are "overpaid" for the role they play.

building contending rosters is more about the roster mix, depth and elite contributors than it is about not having overpaid players. That's what MB has never seemed to figure out... planning and building based on what you have & what's available, instead of these idiotic notions of idealized rosters.

danault at even 7M$ the next 2-3 years, with Suzuki/JKO on ELC/first RFA deals but contributing at established top-6 levels, would be perfectly fine... provided were not loaded with other bad deals or poorly thought out positional expenses (like 15M$ at the G position or 8M$ in AHL-caliber veterans like Weal/Alzner/Weise lol)

***I am NOT suggesting I think we should offer Danault 7M$, just to be clear!**

 

[Le Tricolore]

Depends on the team. He could be a #2 with the right linemates.

 

[Gains]

It depends a lot on a team's structure. You can win with Danault as your #2 IMO, but you need a strong roster. Didn't the Hawks win cups with terrible #2 C in 2013 and 2015? I think it was Handzus and Richards ?

i'll put it this way:
If you have 2 centers better than Danault, then you're most likely a strong contender.

If you have one center better than Danault, then you can be a contender.

 

[Mrb1p]

The only scenario in which Danault can be a 2C on a contender is behind a guy like McDavid or Mac

 

[Habs Halifax]

Are the Islanders a contender? Top 10 team? Isn't Danault their version of Nelson? Some think Danault is going to push for $7M+ which is a joke cause Nelson just signed for $6M and I believe the taxes are similar in Montreal vs NY. Plus we have a flat cap for about two seasons.

Interesting perspective though. Danault is a hero on the Habs while Nelson flies under the radar in NY. Who's better? Danault or Nelson?

 

[Captain Mountain]

Man, if people think Danault is a 3C, they probably have some hella unrealistic expectations of Suzuki and Kotkaniemi.

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

The only scenario in which Danault can be a 2C on a contender is behind a guy like McDavid or Mac

A team can have a very strong 1st line and two "middle-6" lines with two centers of Danault's calibre. I think that's a scenario in which a team can compete and have Danault as a "2nd line center".

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

Are the Islanders a contender? Top 10 team? Isn't Danault their version of Nelson? Some think Danault is going to push for $7M+ which is a joke cause Nelson just signed for $6M and I believe the taxes are similar in Montreal vs NY. Plus we have a flat cap for about two seasons.

Interesting perspective though. Danault is a hero on the Habs while Nelson flies under the radar in NY. Who's better? Danault or Nelson?

Nelson has 5 season of 20 goals and more so far. Danault has never scored more than 13 goals in a single season.
Nelson has been playing behind Barzal for a few years, and behind Tavares before that. Danault has been getting Pacioretty, Radulov, Tatar and Gallagher as linemates in the last few years.
Nelson has 2 inches and more than 10 pounds on Danault.

Nelson is the better fit on a top-6. There is no comparison to be made.

 

[Mrb1p]

A team can have a very strong 1st line and two "middle-6" lines with two centers of Danault's calibre. I think that's a scenario in which a team can compete and have Danault as a "2nd line center".

That means you have more than 25% spent on your centers, doesn't really work and its counterproductive to have two really good mid 6 centers and one really good one. There's not many team that won with this set-up. Theres 09 Pittsburgh, and thats it, but Staal and Malkin were on their ELC I believe.


The Isles have this make-up, but Barzal is still on his ELC and they will be capped out once Barzal signs, with bad defense, bad wingers and average goaltending.

Whats the point of having Pageau if he plays 12 minutes a night at ES ? Better wingerrs for the top two lines, or better defenders would make the teams life easier and would make the team actually wing games instead of spreading it out. Its a waste of cap to have a player play 12-13 minutes at ES for 5-6 millions, IMO.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Nelson has 5 season of 20 goals and more so far. Danault has never scored more than 13 goals in a single season.
Nelson has been playing behind Barzal for a few years, and behind Tavares before that. Danault has been getting Pacioretty, Radulov, Tatar and Gallagher as linemates in the last few years.
Nelson has 2 inches and more than 10 pounds on Danault.

Nelson is the better fit on a top-6. There is no comparison to be made.

So Nelson is substantially better value? Then why do Habs fans think Danault is going to ask for $7M+?

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

So Nelson is substantially better value? Then why do Habs fans think Danault is going to ask for $7M+?

It doesn't matter what Habs fans think. Nobody advanced that Danault is FOR SURE asking for 5/6M a season. But if it's the case, it's way too much to spend on a guy who never scored more than 13 goals a year playing with the team's best wingers. Even Pageau scored 26 goals this season before getting his long-term contract.

 

[Habs Halifax]

It doesn't matter what Habs fans think. Nobody advanced that Danault is FOR SURE asking for 5/6M a season. But if it's the case, it's way too much to spend on a guy who never scored more than 13 goals a year playing with the team's best wingers. Even Pageau scored 26 goals this season before getting his long-term contract.

Focusing on the goals only for centers is a bit weird to me... to be honest. My real opinion is Danault is worth $5.5M - $6M range. If he puts up a fuss for $6.25M, I'd won't trade him for it. $7M+ is a problem yes but doubt he is asking for that. If he is, my respect for him as a Habs fan goes down the drain and I consider him an idiot. I appreciate the hard work he has put in but he would be selfish to not understand no other team gives him wingers like Tatar and Gallagher and the opportunity at center cause the depth was horrible when we traded for him.

$6M x 6 years. Get it done Danault and Bergevin. Too much distraction