Capitals admit they were looking into acquiring this veteran center

RMNB reported the Caps were among teams that checked in on Danault, based on comments from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. It sounded more like due diligence than a full-court press, but the name fits Washington's current headaches.

The wrinkle is Danault is already gone, Los Angeles shipped him to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday for a 2026 second-round pick. That kind of clean exit, no salary held back, made the window for other suitors pretty small.

Washington's interest tracks with how the middle has been patched together since Pierre-Luc Dubois went out after abdominal adductor surgery. When your second-line pivot disappears, you spend nights chasing matchups instead of pushing play.

Danault, 32, is still the kind of center who wins faceoffs, closes the slot, and starts breakouts with one touch. He has five assists and no goals in 30 games, and he carries a $5.5 million cap hit.

From a tactics angle, he'd let Spencer Carbery hard-match a checking line and keep Dylan Strome in more offensive starts. He's also a dependable penalty killer, the guy you trust to deny the middle and force rimmed exits.

Honestly, I get why fans latched onto this one, Danault is the rare boring answer that usually works.

The problem is cost and flexibility, especially with Washington short on 2026 second and third-round picks. Taking on the final year of his six-year deal would have squeezed cap space for a more offensive add.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, seemed ready for a reset, and the Kings turned Danault into a pick without retaining salary. Sportsnet noted Montreal is betting his defensive game and faceoff work can rebound even if the scoring stays modest.

For the Caps, the takeaway isn't that they missed a savior, it's that the center plan needs a real second gear soon. Whether that comes when Dubois returns or via the next trade call, Washington has to steady the spine before spring games get tight.