Trade : The next destination of Pierre-Luc Dubois' could be known
After a season that could be deemed below expectations, Pierre-Luc Dubois appears to be on his way out from the Los Angeles Kings in the coming weeks before the upcoming draft. According to rumors, a concrete offer could be on the table.
The Los Angeles Kings forward has faced boos, and both the team's management and fans' comments are far from flattering. Can Pierre-Luc Dubois reignite his career elsewhere? Absolutely! He can't have gone from a 65-70 point player to a 30-40 point player. The offensive potential and talent are still there, but confidence is fragile.
Un dirigeant de la LNH révèle une offre de transaction concrète impliquant Pierre-Luc Dubois
As reported by Marco Normandin in the latest hours, highly respected Sportsnet journalist Jeff Marek made a very intriguing statement regarding the fate of the Quebecois.
"Regarding Pierre-Luc Dubois, I received a message from an NHL team executive (not Los Angeles or Washington) wondering if a trade in which the Capitals acquired Dubois and the Kings received Darcy Kuemper could make sense for both teams." - Jeff Marek
It's worth noting that this comes from a current NHL team executive, so it's highly likely to be credible and serious enough to consider. The Capitals will likely have to give up a bit more to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois' services. One can imagine a developing player or a draft pick from 2024 or 2025 being involved.
Although we're talking about two undesirable contracts here, Darcy Kuemper's is less burdensome than Pierre-Luc Dubois', both in terms of contract duration and annual salary.
The 34-year-old goaltender is signed with an annual salary of $5.25 million until the end of the 2026-2027 season. He had his best moments during his time with the Los Angeles Kings in 2018, as evidenced by his 0.932 save percentage and 2.10 goals against average.
On the other hand, Pierre-Luc Dubois could add offensive depth and experience to a team that has been getting younger over the past two or three years. With players like Hendrix Lapierre, Dylan Strome, and Connor McMichael, Dubois could support the development of young players and also assist Alex Ovechkin on the power play. The Los Angeles Kings have struggled in front of the net in the second half of the season and during the playoffs. David Rittich and Cameron Talbot have not met expectations.
For those who don't remember, the Los Angeles Kings traded Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round pick in the upcoming amateur draft, which will take place in Vegas in a few weeks, to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois. They even extended his contract with an eight-season agreement worth $68 million. That's a hefty sum per year, until 2031.
It can be expected that the Los Angeles Kings won't get such a return for the Quebecois a year later.
