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Habs sign Danault, acquired in deadline deal with ‘Hawks -- two years, $1.82M

New York Rangers v Montreal Canadiens

MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 26: Phillip Danault #24 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates his second period goal during the NHL game against the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre on March 26, 2016 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

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Phillip Danault, the former first-round pick Montreal got from Chicago in exchange for Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann, has agreed to a two-year deal with an average annual cap hit of $912,000, per TVA.

Danault, 23, was taken 26th overall by Chicago at the 2011 draft, and appeared in 32 games for the ‘Hawks prior to getting traded at last season’s deadline.

A Quebec native, Danault acquitted himself reasonably well upon joining Montreal. He had five points in 21 games, averaging 12:38 TOI per night, and did very well in the faceoff circle by winning 56 percent of his draws.

It’s believed Danault should be on the Habs’ opening night roster next season. The Lars Eller trade to Washington will open up some minutes, and Danault is regarded for his defensive work down the middle -- meaning he should be in line for a steady bottom-six role.