2024 Kings Seasons In Review – Phillip Danault

Heading into the final four of review articles from the 2023-24 season.

A look next at forward Phillip Danault, who delivered the type of season we should expect from him. His point totals were slightly down from last season, though he flirted with 20 goals once again and provided the conscience in between two wingers who had big offensive seasons. His underlying metrics were terrific and we’ll look into those below, as well as the other aspects to his year, both positive and negative.

Phillip Danault
LAK Statline –78 games played, 17 goals, 30 assists, +12 rating, 18 penalty minutes
LAK Playoff Statline – 5 games played, 0 goals, 1 assist, even rating, 4 penalty minutes
NHL Possession Metrics (Relative To Kings) – CF% – 55.9% (+2.5%), SCF% – 55.0% (+2.0%), HDCF% – 55.5% (+3.0%)

Trending Up – There was a line I used in Kevin Fiala’s article yesterday that I’d like to bring back up for Danault, but with an expanded look. I think it’s a stat that encompasses who Danault is as a player. The stat is “only 13 players in the NHL ranked about 55 percent in all of the following categories – CF%, SF%, SCF%, HDCF% and GF%. Fiala was one of those 13.”

Danault is also one of those 13. The qualifier for Danault is that of those 13 players, just two had an offensive-zone start percentage of below 50 percent. Danault is one of those two players, at 48.8 percent. For reference, Artemi Panarin is also in that group and his offensive-zone starts were over 85 percent. Most were over 60 percent. To me, it says that the Kings gave Danault difficult assignments as it came to starting shifts in the defensive zone. Despite it, when he was on the ice, the team turned the play around and still controlled the bulk of shot attempts, scoring chances and goals. That encompasses a lot of who Danault is as a player. He’s not the flashiest guy on the ice but he does so many things well. It’s part of what makes Danault valuable. He made some pretty good lemonade no matter what ingredients he was given.

It also has to be about the two-way play for Danault to set him apart. For his three seasons in Los Angeles, this was his best in terms of his suppression numbers. Danault’s on-ice goals against at 5-on-5 was the lowest of his three seasons with the Kings and the goals against number meshes well with the chances against, with scoring chances and high-danger chances against his lowest on a per/60 basis of the three years. Danault is tasked with defensive-zone starts, challenging matchups against top opposing forwards and also a second-line role that requires offensive production on top of defensive responsibility. He has always embraced those challenges and in Year 3 with the Kings, he delivered once again, in a quietly effective manner.

Trending Down – In the postseason, while he certainly had an excuse, Danault picked up just one point in the series and was a part of the struggles for the Kings on special teams. Danault was playing with two broken fingers against the Oilers, one of which happened during Game 2. As a result, he saw his own individual metrics drop from past playoff series, shooting the puck less overall and from dangerous areas. Danault was also third from the bottom for the Kings in terms of percentage of scoring chances and high-danger chances controlled in the postseason. In shorthanded situations, he was on the ice for four Edmonton power-play goals against, most among Kings forwards. Danault was down 20 percent of his fingers, perhaps the most substantial injury being played with, but he was one of many who wanted more in the playoffs.

The question I’d ask here with regards to Danault is are we okay with what he brings to the team if he does not replicate the 27 goals he scored in 2021-22. In his first season with the team, Danault was a revelation in so many ways. It wasn’t just the way he played but he scored 27 goals while doing it. If Danault could have continued at that pace, pushing 30 goals while also delivering the two-way game he does, plus his willingness to play a shutdown role when needed……damn. Two seasons in a row now he’s been below 20 goals. Danault still contributes offensively, without a doubt, but his goals and individual high-danger looks were down again from 2021-22. For a team in need of more scoring, a return to that 25+ range would be really big for the Kings, while continuing to be the effective player he is overall.

2024-25 Outlook– Danault is halfway through the six-year contract he signed with the Kings back in the summer of 2021. One thing you get with Danault is consistency. He’s delivered as the team’s second-line center over each of that last three seasons and despite competition being added down the middle, he’s not simply going to hand over that spot going forward.

Danault’s versatility and style of play will lend itself into whatever role the Kings choose to deploy him in going forward. If that’s continuing to center the second line, he’s up for the task. If the Kings opt to shuffle things around and potentially try out an alignment with Danualt as the 3C, he said during his exit interview he’s open to it and his two-way game will deliver a possession-dominant approach in that spot. Danault is such an important part of this team. Wherever he lines up next season, I’m sure he’ll continue to be effective.