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Pierre-Luc Dubois

Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois

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The Pierre-Luc Dubois saga with the Winnipeg Jets appears likely to end this summer with a trade. Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic write that it appears that the young forward will submit a list of teams that he is willing to sign with long term and it will be up to the Jets to determine if any of those teams are willing to make a move. In the meantime, Dubois’ agent Pat Brisson could begin talking to those teams to setup a framework for a potential long-term extension.

While this is not an ideal situation for Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, it does give him the opportunity to have serious negotiations with teams that can plug Dubois into their lineup long term, hopefully maximizing the return for Winnipeg.

Jeff Marek acknowledged on his show today that the Montreal Canadiens are high on Dubois wish list, and The Athletic article even mentioned that the Canadiens called Winnipeg after the season ended. While there does seem to be a fit for a trade between Montreal and Winnipeg there will be plenty of other interested suitors. Players like Dubois don’t come on the market all that often and even an eight-year contract will only carry Dubois into his age 33 season, meaning that he should be very productive throughout the life on any long-term deal.

The Athletic article also mentions that Dubois is willing to be flexible depending on the situation, meaning that he will take a discount to go to a cup contender but would want his full freight if he goes to a rebuilding club.

The situation is not unlike the sign and trade of Matthew Tkachuk and the Calgary Flames last summer. Tkachuk signed his eight-year deal with Calgary and was then quickly dealt to the Florida Panthers for a large haul that was universally praised at the time. Winnipeg could maximize the return by working out a similar situation with Dubois allowing both sides to leave the relationship happy with the end result.

Pierre-Luc Dubois Has Requested A Trade

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Pierre LeBrun of TSN Insider Trading is reporting that the agent for Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois’ has informed the club that he isn’t interested in signing any type of contract extension with the team, not even a one year deal that would take him to unrestricted free agency. The timing of the news is a little bit surprising as Gary Bettman doesn’t like these types of stories to break during the Stanley Cup final, however the news itself is one of the worst kept secrets in the NHL.

Dubois reportedly told the Jets last summer that he had no intention of signing a long-term deal to stay in Winnipeg and it appears that the 24-year-old is staying true to his word. Dubois had 27 goals and 36 assists in 73 games this season after signing a one year $6MM contract last summer. He helped lead the Jets to the postseason this year, but it appears that he would prefer his time in Manitoba come to a close sooner rather than later.

Dubois is just one year away from being free to sign with anyone. However, he is under Winnipeg’s control for next season as a restricted free agent and may have handcuffed the Jets if they were to shop him in the trade market. Winnipeg could move on and try to facilitate a trade to meet Dubois request, or they could take him to arbitration and accept a one-year deal and lose him as a free agent next summer. While neither option is great for the Jets, it could be a launching pad for a lot of movement this summer. The Jets have quite a few very talented players that are approaching unrestricted free agency and may either opt to take one more run at a cup or begin a painful rebuild.

Superstar netminder Connor Hellebuyck, former captain Blake Wheeler, and center Mark Scheifele are all unrestricted free agents next summer and with a potential exodus on the horizon general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff may decide that the more palatable option is to jump start the rebuild now and bring in a boatload of young controllable talent.

West Notes: Jets, Mitchell, McCann

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Jets centers Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois enter this summer with one year of team control remaining for each of them.  Scheifele is under contract while Dubois has a final season of arbitration eligibility remaining.  While it’s possible both could play on expiring deals next season, allowing GM Kevin Cheveldayoff more time to assess the future of his core, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press suggests doing so would be tantamount to professional malpractice.  Instead, he argues that the risk of them being injured in their walk years would be too great so if the middlemen aren’t willing to sign long-term with Winnipeg, moving them this summer would be the right approach, allowing them to get strong returns for each of them in the coming months.

More from the West:

  • Things haven’t gone as planned for Blackhawks defenseman Ian Mitchell. He has shown some promise in spurts but hasn’t been able to produce consistently and has dealt with some injury trouble, resulting in him frequently being out of the lineup.  Despite that, John Dietz of the Daily Herald argues that Chicago should give one more chance to the 24-year-old pending restricted free agent.  Even with other blueline prospects looking like they could be ready for a bigger role next season, there isn’t much risk to giving Mitchell a one-year, two-way deal.  If things don’t pan out, they can waive him and try to get him back to Rockford but if he’s able to lock down a spot in Chicago, he’ll be worth the low price tag he’ll ultimately cost.  His qualifying offer checks in at just under $875K but he could take less than that in exchange for a higher AHL salary.
  • Kraken center Jared McCann skated today for the first time since being injured in the fourth game of their series against Colorado. However, head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters, including NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika that it’s very unlikely that the 26-year-old will be available tomorrow against Dallas.  McCann was on the ice in a non-contact jersey so until he’s cleared by doctors for contact, it’s doubtful that Seattle will have their 40-goal scorer available to them.

Jets Notes: Hellebuyck, Dubois, Ehlers, Bowness

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The future of Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg is one of the things many will be keeping an eye on this offseason.  The 29-year-old had a standout showing this season, posting a 2.49 GAA with a .920 SV% while leading the NHL in games played.  He’s eligible to sign a contract extension this summer but indicated in his end-of-season media availability (video link) that he hasn’t yet given any thought to signing another deal with the Jets and discussions with the team on that front have not started.  Hellebuyck indicated that his primary goal remains to go after a Stanley Cup so if Winnipeg opts for a rebuild this summer after their disappointing playoff exit, it would be surprising if Hellebuyck chose to sign an extension.  Regardless of what team he signs that next contract with, he’ll be getting a sizable raise from his current $6.166MM AAV.

More from Winnipeg:

  • In his availability (video link), Pierre-Luc Dubois remained non-committal about his future with the team, instead stating that he hasn’t given much thought to his future just yet. The 24-year-old, who acknowledged that he dealt with hip trouble this season, has been in trade speculation going back to last summer amid reports that he thought he could be moved to Montreal at the draft.  Dubois accepted his $6MM qualifying offer last summer and will be in his final year of restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility in July.
  • Winger Nikolaj Ehlers indicated in his session (video link) that it’s possible that he’ll be able to suit up at the World Championships next month despite missing all but one game in their series against Vegas. He declined to disclose the nature of the injury that kept him out for more than two weeks.  Ehlers would certainly be a key addition to a Denmark squad that will be missing a few of its NHL players at least with those teams having already moved onto the second round.
  • After a short and blunt presser following their elimination game, some wondered if head coach Rick Bowness would stay on for next season. He told the media today (video link) that his intention is to remain behind the bench in Winnipeg but declined to comment on what changes to the team might be needed, instead deferring to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.  The 68-year-old has one more season plus a team option remaining on his contract after joining the Jets last summer.

Jets Injury Updates: Scheifele, Dubois, Ehlers

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Injuries to important players have piled up at an inopportune time for the Winnipeg Jets, and could lead to a quick playoff exit at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights. Down 3-1 in the series, 40-goal scorer Mark Scheifele left Game 4 with a suspected shoulder injury and is not on the ice at practice today, says Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe. He’s not expected to play in Game 5 tomorrow night.

Scheifele, despite managing just one goal in the series, is a cornerstone piece of the team’s forward corps. With a mixed bag of news today on some other Jets forwards, his absence still means they’ll need miracle performances from depth players such as Vladislav Namestnikov and Adam Lowry to pull off an improbable comeback in the series.

  • In even more concerning news, Wiebe also reports that Pierre-Luc Dubois was absent from practice today. The nature of his absence is unknown, as he recorded a goal in over 20 minutes of ice time in Game 4 and isn’t listed with any injuries. Still, if his absence from practice today is for any reason other than rest or maintenance, it could be a depth blow to the Jets, who utilized 23-year-old depth forward David Gustafsson in Dubois’ place on the first line in line rushes today.
  • The team could see Nikolaj Ehlers back for Game 5, though. Wiebe reports Ehlers was a full participant in practice today, skating on a line with deadline additions Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter. Ehlers hasn’t played since game 81 of the regular season on April 11 with an upper-body injury.

Jets Notes: Morrissey, Dubois, Gagner

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Dan Robertson of TSN reports the Winnipeg Jets will have an impact player back in the lineup this evening. Josh Morrissey missed the Jets past two games after leaving early against the Florida Panthers last Saturday. He had been listed as day-to-day all week, but is ready to go tonight when the Jets face a tough test against the league-leading Boston Bruins.

Morrissey has had a tremendous season, scoring 15 goals and 67 points in 66 games. The 27 year old is a candidate to win the Norris Trophy for his fantastic play, so the team will be happy to have him back in the lineup. The Jets will need him at the top of his game right away as they have slipped to the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. They are just four points ahead of the Nashville Predators who have played three less games than the Jets.

  • Pierre-Luc Dubois was on the ice at the team’s morning skate, but according to Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet, Dubois will not play tonight. The 24-year-old center has played just one game since February 26, dealing with two separate injuries in that time. It does appear he is getting close to returning, but it will not be this evening.
  • Murat Ates of The Athletic reports Sam Gagner’s season is over. The 33-year-old forward has already had surgery on one hip and will also get surgery on the other side in the near future. Ates mentions it is an injury that Gagner has been dealing with for a while but is now going to get fixed. The veteran forward scored eight goals and 14 points in 48 games for the Jets this season before being shut down on February 28.

Jets Injury Notes: Morrissey, Dubois, Lowry

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The Winnipeg Jets will have some notable absences from the lineup when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. The most notable of them is breakout star Josh Morrissey, who head coach Rick Bowness says is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Morrissey, 27, left yesterday’s game against the Florida Panthers with a non-contact injury, appearing to favor his hip. It won’t be a long-term absence, though, as Morrissey hopes to play Tuesday when the Jets wrap up their Southeastern road trip. The 13th overall pick in 2013 has trampled over his previous career-high in points, recording 67 in 66 games this year. Any extended absence is a tough blow for Winnipeg, who’s sliding fast as the playoffs approach.

Some other injury notes from Winnipeg:

  • The news isn’t so positive for Pierre-Luc Dubois, who Bowness doesn’t expect to see return for another two games at least. Dubois has missed five of the last six games with two different injuries and is now listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old is on pace for career-highs in goals and points, recording 24 goals and 55 points in 61 games.
  • Adam Lowry is “feeling better” after leaving last night’s game late in the third period with an undisclosed injury and is a game-time decision against Tampa, per Bowness. Bowness told reporters last night that both Morrissey and Lowry were “very doubtful” for today’s game, so it’s certainly a positive development for Lowry’s status. With 27 points in 66 games, Lowry is Winnipeg’s highest-scoring bottom-six forward and a crucial piece in the lineup at the third-line center position.

Central Notes: Stalock, Johnson, Dubois

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The Blackhawks were without goaltender Alex Stalock tonight against the Panthers as the team announced (Twitter link) that the veteran is out due to illness.  The 35-year-old has been a bright spot for Chicago this season, posting an impressive .920 SV% in 17 games, a mark that would put him in a tie for fourth in the league if he had enough qualifying appearances.  With the decision being announced so late, the Blackhawks didn’t have time to recall someone from AHL Rockford so instead, they’ve signed Zach Andrews, Florida’s emergency goaltender, to an ATO agreement.  The 31-year-old had a 45-12-4 record in four seasons with UMass-Boston from 2012 through 2016 with a .906 SV% and a 2.66 GAA.

More from the Central:

  • Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now that defenseman Erik Johnson appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken ankle. The veteran has been out for a month with an expected recovery timeline of eight weeks.  He’s already skating so it’s quite possible that he’s able to return before another four weeks elapse.  Johnson has seven assists in 51 games this season and is not currently on LTIR so Colorado won’t have to make any roster moves to activate him when he’s ready to come back.
  • While the Jets were without Pierre-Luc Dubois last night against Minnesota with an upper-body injury, it doesn’t appear as if he’ll be out much longer. Postmedia’s Paul Friesen relays that Winnipeg expects the center to be back at some point on their road trip.  That trip begins Saturday in Florida and ends Tuesday in Carolina so it’s safe to say that Dubois should be back soon.  The 24-year-old has 24 goals and 31 assists in 61 games so far this season.

Snapshots: Konecny, Dubois, Hill

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The Philadelphia Flyers have had another extremely disappointing season, and despite the best efforts of veteran head coach John Tortorella to get the most out of his talent-deficient roster, the team currently sits 25th in league standings with just 24 wins in 64 games. The team’s form this season has prompted Flyers management to acknowledge that returning to contention won’t be a quick fix, and that longer-term development is likely needed. This has led many to wonder if the Flyers would consider trading one of the few bright spots of their season, Travis Konecny, over the summer.

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote in a recent piece that “at least one contender” was “planning on making an aggressive trade offer [for Konecny] before the trade deadline” before Konecny got injured. (subscription link) He adds that his expectation is that the Flyers “will listen on him ahead of the draft” to see what sort of value he holds on the trade market. Despite playing just 52 games due to injury, Konecny remains the Flyers’ leading scorer with 54 points in 52 games. He plays the kind of fast, hard-nosed game that many teams covet, and is on an affordable $5.5MM cap hit through 2024-25. While it’s obviously far from a given that Konecny is traded, he’s possibly the best trade asset the team could cash in on to fast-forward a rebuild.

  • LeBrun also touched on the current status of Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois and his future in Manitoba. Since the Jets are hoping they can put together a lengthy playoff run, the focus has been on the rest of the season rather than on Dubois’ future. But regardless of the team’s current priorities, LeBrun writes that he believes Dubois is “headed toward an offseason trade, just like Matthew Tkachuk a year ago from Calgary.” LeBrun adds that the Montreal Canadiens, who were rumored to be after Dubois last summer, would likely have interest once again. It’d be a shame for Winnipeg to lose Dubois, 24, and his near point-per-game production, but if he does have his heart set on leaving as a free agent in the summer of 2024, perhaps recouping some valuable assets via trade this summer could be the wisest way forward.
  • Vegas Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill is dealing with a lower-body injury that could impact his availability for the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, according to AT&T SportsNet’s Ashali Vise. The Golden Knights have dealt with major injury issues in their crease in recent weeks, injuries that led to the team acquiring legendary goaltender Jonathan Quick from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hill has played well in 27 games for the Golden Knights this season, posting a 16-7-1 record, 2.45 goals-against-average, and .916 save percentage, but injuries have been a lingering issue in the past few seasons. Hill has been extremely impressive as of late, saving a combined 91 shots in his last two starts. Hopefully, for Hill and the Golden Knights, this injury is just a minor setback and not something that has a major impact on his availability moving forward.

West Injury Notes: Dubois, Blackhawks, Simek

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Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois missed practice today, but is expected to play tomorrow. John Lu of TSN reported that his absence from practice was just a maintenance day and he will suit up against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. Dubois is having a strong season, scoring 24 goals and 55 points in 61 games for the Jets this season. He missed three games before returning to face the San Jose Sharks on Monday night. When he missed practice, it was initially feared he would be out of the lineup yet again, but that is not the case.

The Jets need his presence in their lineup. The team has been struggling lately and has dropped to third in the Central Division standings with the Colorado Avalanche right on their heels. They are 2-6-2 in their past ten games, and will look to get back on track against a divisional rival tomorrow night. Fortunately, it will be with Dubois in the lineup.

  • According to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Blackhawks will be without a couple of depth players for the foreseeable future. Andreas Englund has a pulled hamstring and will not travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. The team’s next home game is March 14th. Austin Wagner was acquired by the Blackhawks on trade deadline day and the team was aware he had an injury that had become infected. He is meeting with doctors to try and determine a clearer timeline on when he can make his debut with the Blackhawks.
  • Radim Simek is listed as week-to-week with a concussion, per Corey Masisak of The Athletic. The 30-year-old defenseman missed nearly two months earlier this season before returning to the San Jose Sharks lineup on February 28th. He has played three games since then, but will be out long term due to the concussion that sidelined him earlier this season.

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