Player Discussion Phillip Danault II: 2nd C? edition

[DramaticGloveSave]

I think Shaw might be our best face off man.

Another reason to have him with Domi and Drouin.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I think Shaw might be our best face off man.

This is why he's on the PP.

 

[yianik]

I think Shaw might be our best face off man.

Danault 51.4% v Shaw at 42.1%.

 

[Schwang]

Danault has a place on our squad now and going forward. He's the only C who can consistently win a faceoff, and he's our best defensive C as well....

True but he's still pretty poor in the circle. Does anyone know if Evans or Vejdemo are any good in the circle?

 

[Cobra Commander]

sending Kotkaniemi home or the AHL wouldn't have been a bad descision, maybe considering his team is doing very bad, but he could of been the solution of the teams success at Center. The reason why going back in the liiga would have been good, is to play a massive amount of minutes and have a longer offseason to work on his strenght since their season finishes earlier.

I still think in MY opinion, i would of liked Kotkaniemi in the AHL better than in the NHL this year. My only concern was the lack of talent to play with... This is a transition year for Montreal, Next year will be very different!

Everything you said is wrong. This kid is more than capable of dominating the NHL at the center position right now, if he had better wingers like Danault has he would be PPG+

 

[HOPE]

Everything you said is wrong. This kid is more than capable of dominating the NHL at the center position right now, if he had better wingers like Danault has he would be PPG+

you care to tell me what i said wrong in that post? i've never said he wasn't able to do good in the NHL right now?

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

I think Shaw might be our best face off man.

Shaw usually has a higher faceoff % because he mainly takes faceoffs on his strong side, Danault would be our best face off man.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Danault 51.4% v Shaw at 42.1%.

Small sample size.

Career with HABS for all centers on current roster
Shaw 53.6%
Danault 52.3%

Career Lifetime for new HABS centers this year
Peca 50.3%
Domi 43.7%

Rookie:
Kotkaniemi 40.5%

 

[yianik]

Small sample size.

Career with HABS for all centers on current roster
Shaw 53.6%
Danault 52.3%

Career Lifetime for new HABS centers this year
Peca 50.3%
Domi 43.7%

Rookie:
Kotkaniemi 40.5%

Yes , I did just use this years figures. Both lifetime stats are very good I see.

 

[Habs]

Danault has a place on our squad now and going forward. He's the only C who can consistently win a faceoff, and he's our best defensive C as well....

Andreas Dackell 2.0

 

[Mrb1p]

True but he's still pretty poor in the circle. Does anyone know if Evans or Vejdemo are any good in the circle?

Evans is a god at faceoffs, he was basically the best FO man in the NCAA for two or three years straight.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Evans is a god at faceoffs, he was basically the best FO man in the NCAA for two or three years straight.

I really hope we can bring him up quickly to be that 4th line C. Peca is the absolute definition of JAG.

 

[ECWHSWI]

He is our PK specialist ! And he his the perfect teamate and ambassador for the Habs. I would wait until Poehling is really ready to take this role before trading him ! And even there

how so ?

 

[cphabs]

Danault has a place on our squad now and going forward. He's the only C who can consistently win a faceoff, and he's our best defensive C as well....

I second this! Danault's ascension to a #1C position on an NHL franchise has been stuff of legend! Especially when his recent 40 point campaign, as a 25 year old, is taken into account!

 

[BaseballCoach]

Danault has a place on our squad now and going forward. He's the only C who can consistently win a faceoff, and he's our best defensive C as well....

I second this! Danault's ascension to a #1C position on an NHL franchise has been stuff of legend! Especially when his recent 40 point campaign, as a 25 year old, is taken into account!

Let's not blame the player. He is a late first round pick that we stole from Chicago for some vegetables that were about to go bad, and who is a good middle-six C with faceoff ability, PK ability, speed and a touch of offence fueled mainly by excellent puck pursuit skills.

Playing behind Domi and Kotkaniemi as early as next year is perfect for a guy of his skills, he will be a real contributor. Even if one day Ryan Poehling and/or Jake Evans surpass him, he can still help the team either by moving to LW ahead of guys like Hudon or Deslauriers, take Matthew Peca's spot and be one of the best 4Cs in a long time, or fetch something of value in a trade.

All this being said, I see Suzuki as contributing most and earliest by acting as a top-9 scoring RW who could play C in a pinch, but I do not see him right now as a regular C in the NHL, at least not at this stage of his career.

For next year, top 9:
Lehkonen-Kotkaniemi-Gallagher
Drouin-Domi-Byron
Tatar-Danault-Suzuki

There is a lot of talent on the wings that could be moved around for best chemistry

 

[ECWHSWI]

I second this! Danault's ascension to a #1C position on an NHL franchise has been stuff of legend! Especially when his recent 40 point campaign, as a 25 year old, is taken into account!

ascension ? come on he's only there until one of Domi/KK is more experienced. He's there for the defense and that's it.

and he's been tried there cause Julien LOVES his players to be responsible defensively.

 

[Deluded Puck]

how so ?

Nice wholesome humble pure Laine. That’s how.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Nice wholesome humble pure Laine. That’s how.

I wish we had Laine, humble or not.

 

[Belial]

ascension ? come on he's only there until one of Domi/KK is more experienced. He's there for the defense and that's it.

and he's been tried there cause Julien LOVES his players to be responsible defensively.

That line is managing to outplay and outproduce the best lines of the teams we face every night and a big part in that fact is Danault being extremely solid at center! Stop stat watching! Watch the games for a change...

 

[ECWHSWI]

That line is managing to outplay and outproduce the best lines of the teams we face every night and a big part in that fact is Danault being extremely solid at center! Stop stat watching! Watch the games for a change...

I have yet to miss a game this season so far... anyone with an ounce of jusdgement knows the comment was not about the whole line...

so, why are you talking to me ?
(must have clicked the wrong spot, I'm not supposed to see any of your posts, but no worries, I'll happily put you back in)

 

[BaseballCoach]

Why? That’s all Danault is good for. More like the truth than sarcasm.

Again why dump on the guy. He's a good third line center that has speed and good defensive instinct and has been able to chip in offensively. Now that there are two offensively creative centers, he is back OFF the PP and will soon be in the perfect chair for him.

 

[Belial]

I have yet to miss a game this season so far... anyone with an ounce of jusdgement knows the comment was not about the whole line...

so, why are you talking to me ?
(must have clicked the wrong spot, I'm not supposed to see any of your posts, but no worries, I'll happily put you back in)

So Danault is not part of that line or what?

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Danault is still only 25, he's a perfect age to keep around over the next few years. He's very good defensively and his ES production is very solid, he's the perfect 3rd line C.

We just went from having guys like Desharnais, Froese and Logan Shaw playing C for us in recent years, it never hurts to have a lot of depth at C and a guy like Danault or potentially Suzuki could play on the wing if needed.

 

[Cobra Commander]

Again why dump on the guy. He's a good third line center that has speed and good defensive instinct and has been able to chip in offensively. Now that there are two offensively creative centers, he is back OFF the PP and will soon be in the perfect chair for him.

I’m not dumping on him, I’m calling a spade a spade and giving credit where credit is due. Sure I like him on the 3C, but in a perfect world you have a guy with the same defense and grind but a little more offensive skill in your 3rd spot. Phil is a 20-25 point center on a third line playing with third line wingers, we aren’t talking about prime Plekanec here, he only hit the 40 point mark because he was playing with Max and Radu out of position on a fist line. Radu disliked playing with him and that was apparent. Now if you can have Phil Danault as your 4th line center, I think you can be one of the best teams in the league at the center position.

Domi
Kotkaniemi
Poehling
Danault

 

[Belial]

I’m not dumping on him, I’m calling a spade a spade and giving credit where credit is due. Sure I like him on the 3C, but in a perfect world you have a guy with the same defense and grind but a little more offensive skill in your 3rd spot. Phil is a 20-25 point center on a third line playing with third line wingers, we aren’t talking about prime Plekanec here, he only hit the 40 point mark because he was playing with Max and Radu out of position on a fist line. Radu disliked playing with him and that was apparent. Now if you can have Phil Danault as your 4th line center, I think you can be one of the best teams in the league at the center position.

Domi
Kotkaniemi
Poehling
Danault

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!