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What is Phil Danault worth?


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Over the next two or three weeks or sooner we're probably going to find out what a team is willing to pay Phil Danault. So my question is, what do you think he's worth?

 

I'm guessing every one of us want him back. We all saw what he did and how valuable he was in the playoffs. Without him, we don't win the series we did. 

 

I doubt he's a first line centre on any team in the league right now. Defensively, probably the best. Offensively, not so much. I heard a hockey insider say a few weeks back that he thinks Danault is a very, very good 3d line centre now on most teams. 

 

If he hits the open market will some other team give him more than we have offered him? If I remember was not MB's offer to him $5 million plus, with term, that he turned down? Then he proceeded to have a so so regular season with low production but then turned it on in the playoffs, defensively with some offence. Will another team really offer him more than we have? Somehow I doubt it. My understanding is that the same offer is still on the table for him. I think being french Canadian has us adding more to the offer than others would.

 

If he hits free agency I think there's a good chance he fields other offers and then comes back to us. But there is certainly a risk. Or, to save him any awkwardness does his agent tell him to take our offer?  

 

What do you think?  

 

 

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If its long term, I don't go over 5 million. 

 

If someone else wants to give him more, then I explore other options.... Kadri, McCann, Granlund, Copp, Wennberg to play a third line centre role. 

 

Danault is good, very good, but also you can't overpay very good. If I have to overpay, I do it on elite players. 

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Elite checkers are still just checkers no matter how good. 
 

I frankly think 5 million is too much for a checker but it is what it is. I think 4 million absolute max is more in line with a forward that puts up very few points. 
 

I think he gets more elsewhere and then the Habs will be forced to re-evaluate the importance of winning faceoffs - which is a good thing because Ducharme/Julien are lunatics about it. Faceoffs are important but they are not the end all, be all ffs

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22 minutes ago, Commandant said:

If its long term, I don't go over 5 million. 

 

If someone else wants to give him more, then I explore other options.... Kadri, McCann, Granlund, Copp, Wennberg to play a third line centre role. 

 

Danault is good, very good, but also you can't overpay very good. If I have to overpay, I do it on elite players. 

 

We are already overpaying some 'very good' players - Anderson and Gallagher (Bergy really didn't want to drive a bargain last summer).  The problem is that I think Danault is better than either of them.  Won't score as many goals, but will do more to help us win. 

 

If it's true that the market is squeezed on guys in Danault's range then that should help us keep the number down.  

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KK is the key, and I don't see him requiring four years to develop into a competent checking C with upside. Two years should be enough for that. And we don't want to be on the hook for $5 mil per for Danault when that happens.

 

So maybe a McCann scenario is really what makes sense. Manageable cap hit, sheltering KK while giving him room to grow.

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$5 million is what I would have said as well.

 

I personally don’t mind if we don’t have him back. That’s not based on this season. I’ve felt that way for awhile.

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35 minutes ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

$5 million is what I would have said as well.

 

I personally don’t mind if we don’t have him back. That’s not based on this season. I’ve felt that way for awhile.

I think he was key in helping shut down top Jet, Vegas and Leaf scorers and he seems exactly what Leafs and maybe the other two are lacking. But, Armia-Lehkonen-Evans-Byron are all good checkers (i know 1 or 2 may be gone soon but still), so maybe really dont need to shell out $5m for any checking centre? 

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2 hours ago, DON said:

I think he was key in helping shut down top Jet, Vegas and Leaf scorers and he seems exactly what Leafs and maybe the other two are lacking. But, Armia-Lehkonen-Evans-Byron are all good checkers (i know 1 or 2 may be gone soon but still), so maybe really dont need to shell out $5m for any checking centre? 

The difficult part for me as a fan is dissecting how much of keeping Matthews off the scoresheet was Danault and how much was Price and/or the Big 4 that performed so well because they were "built for the playoffs" ... Danault's line shut down the top lines in Winnipeg and Vegas but neither had a Matthews-like centre for Danault to shutdown ...I am  ***NOT*** discrediting his defence ... IMO he is now a perennial Selke top 5-10 candidate ... but I just don't value defensive forwards as highly as some ... and don't see him as a centre that drives offence, even with solid wingers like Tartar and Gallagher ... I would top out at $4.5 for 3-4 years.

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12 hours ago, GHT120 said:

The difficult part for me as a fan is dissecting how much of keeping Matthews off the scoresheet was Danault and how much was Price and/or the Big 4 that performed so well because they were "built for the playoffs" ... Danault's line shut down the top lines in Winnipeg and Vegas but neither had a Matthews-like centre for Danault to shutdown ...I am  ***NOT*** discrediting his defence ... IMO he is now a perennial Selke top 5-10 candidate ... but I just don't value defensive forwards as highly as some ... and don't see him as a centre that drives offence, even with solid wingers like Tartar and Gallagher ... I would top out at $4.5 for 3-4 years.

 

I think there is no doubt he is one of the top defensive forwards in the game. I don't even question how valuable he was to shutting down those teams.  Of course price and gallagher and evans/lehkonen and the defence helps too but the centre is a big key and danault defensively is as good as they come.

 

The question becomes what is that worth... monetarily.

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4 hours ago, Commandant said:

 

I think there is no doubt he is one of the top defensive forwards in the game. I don't even question how valuable he was to shutting down those teams.  Of course price and gallagher and evans/lehkonen and the defence helps too but the centre is a big key and danault defensively is as good as they come.

 

The question becomes what is that worth... monetarily.

I'll try again giving a number.

A shutdown center may be worth worth additional $750,000 (league minimum) to his salary.

If a 20g 30a forward makes $4M-4.5M a year, a shutdown center would make $4.750M to $5.25M, wouldn't he?

 

Danault's last contract was for an AAV $3.25M and he produces 45-50 points on an 82g season while also being an elite shutdonw center

 

Hayes, Pageau, Kadri, Henrique, Backlund, etc.

 

 

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Hyman is also an UFA, he has better offence stats tha danault but is not as good on the Face Off dot (as far as I cold tell)

 

is Hyman an option for the Habs?

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1 minute ago, alfredoh2009 said:

Hyman is also an UFA, he has better offence stats tha danault but is not as good on the Face Off dot (as far as I cold tell)

 

is Hyman an option for the Habs?

 

Hyman is a Left Wing mostly.

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3 minutes ago, Commandant said:

 

Hyman is a Left Wing mostly.

ok, was looking at the selke list for an idea. I don't care to remember much about where TOR players play...

 

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NHL.com lists way too many people at C, who don't actually play centre.  

 

Don't think Hyman has played much C since college.  He's mostly been on the wing in Toronto beside one of Tavares/Matthews.

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5 minutes ago, Habsfan89 said:

The thing with Danault is they're a dime a dozen in the NHL. I wouldn't pay him anything over 5mil

not true, Selke nominees that can score 45-50 points and win over 55% of their faceoffs are not common

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I read early in the season he turned down a $5m extension offer, I can't remember the length.  One thing that has worked in the Habs favor is the fact he didn't produce much during the season and the playoffs.  He is arguably less valuable than he was at the beginning of the season, the shutdown ability and faceoffs haven't changed but his production dropped of a cliff.  I honestly don't think he should get a dime more than $4.5m and to me that is high for what he brings.  I believe for what he offers he's a $3.5m player.

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4 minutes ago, zumpano21 said:

If Danault walks, does this mean that Poehling is ready to go and Evans is the new shutdown centre?

That is my opinion , with a veteran FO signed to help them 

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Just now, alfredoh2009 said:

That is my opinion , with a veteran FO signed to help them 

I was just looking at the depth chart. To me, this team needs to sign one high impact winger for the upcoming season and we’re ready to go. Remaining voids can be filled with players we already know.

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