5 Free Agent Forwards To Target Not Named Gabriel Landeskog

Phillip Danault

This one might get too expensive for the Devils. We saw the craziness that was the Zach Hyman journey to the Edmonton Oilers, but the Devils should at least see what’s happening with Phillip Danault.

Danault is a player who can be in the Selke Trophy conversation every year. He can score between 40 and 50 points every season while shutting down his opponents. This is something the Devils will miss on that third line with Travis Zajac moving on from his normal post. The Devils had that great two-way player down the lineup for years, but it’s better if Zajac and the Devils both move on.

Meanwhile, Danault is only 28 years old, so he could still do this for the next five years. The Devils shouldn’t go beyond that for a player like Danault. Honestly, they shouldn’t go all the way to five years, but that will likely be what it takes to sign him.

Danault is willing to play a role, he won’t mind being on the third line, and he will help Nico Hischier turn into a Selke contender himself. This is a player who will help on the ice and off of it. It was apparent in the Canadiens’ run to the Stanley Cup Final what a player like Danault can do when there’s a really good goalie in net and high-variance players around them. If Blackwood can play like he did a year ago, this is the same type of team that can go on a run like that.