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Pierre-Luc Dubois

Los Angeles Kings To Acquire, Extend Pierre-Luc Dubois

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Perhaps the first true blockbuster deal of the offseason has finally materialized. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Los Angeles Kings are acquiring center Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets, who receive a significant return in Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round draft pick in 2024, originally belonging to the Montreal Canadiens. Per NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, Dubois is signing an eight-year extension (technically with Winnipeg before the trade) worth $8.5MM per season.

Dubois arrived in Winnipeg over two years ago in a star-for-star trade that saw Patrik Laine head to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The two players were selected third and second overall, respectively, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. It looked like a rather disappointing trade for both sides at the time – Dubois had just 20 points in 41 games down the stretch with the Jets in 2020-21 and played a decidedly middle-six role, barely averaging over 15 minutes per game.

Things took a dramatic turn for the better over the following two seasons, though. Fresh off back-to-back 60-point seasons for the first time in his career, Dubois is now entering his prime and much closer to the player everyone thought he could be. He won’t impress anyone defensively, but he’s a very high-end play driver and is a good weapon on the power play.

It’s a fresh start for Dubois on the West Coast. He’s long been posturing to get himself traded to a larger market, although most had assumed until recent weeks that it would be the Montreal Canadiens. With Winnipeg looking to retool on the fly, though, the Kings’ package of NHL-ready talent was a much more appealing return.

That being said, this is a lot to give up (and an awfully rich extension) for Dubois, who’s a good top-six center but not a bonafide first-line pivot. Vilardi, the 11th overall pick in 2017, finally broke out this season in a big way after multiple serious injuries derailed his development. The 23-year-old notched 41 points in 63 games, played a great possession game, and could very well replace Dubois’ role in the Jets lineup on his own. With the addition of Iafallo, who’s a very strong middle-six two-way winger, it seems those two on their own might have been enough value to land Dubois. He had 36 points in 59 games last year, on pace for a career-high of 50 in a full season.

Add in Kupari, who doesn’t have a terribly high ceiling but is an established NHLer who appeared in 66 regular-season games and six playoff games this year, and Winnipeg’s got three fresh pieces to help kickstart a significant retool. The 2024 second-round pick is also a very nice addition for the Jets – it finds its way to them via the Canadiens and Coyotes, switching hands in the Christian Dvorak and Sean Durzi trades.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Athletic’s Murat Ates was first to report the package was in place.

Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois

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The pendulum for Pierre-Luc Dubois’ next team has continuously swung back and forth between the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens over the past several weeks. Today, it’s swung back toward the Kings’ side.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Winnipeg Jets prefer the proposed trade package coming from the Kings, wanting more NHL-ready talent instead of the futures Montreal can offer. Additionally, it appears Dubois personally would prefer a long-term commitment with the Kings, something not many expected after years of publically speculated posturing to end up in a Canadiens jersey.

Reported elements of a return have included forwards Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi, both of whom could immediately step into top-six roles on the Jets. It’s clear the team is trying to opt for more of a retool than a full-scale rebuild, an ambitious task given the impending departures of Blake Wheeler, Connor Hellebuyck, and potentially number-one center Mark Scheifele.

This doesn’t mean the Canadiens will be silent on the trade market, though. Dreger suggests the team is still looking to add a younger forward to their group and will leverage draft picks and defense prospects to do so.

If he does end up in LA, it’s fair to wonder if Dubois will actually be a center. Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, and Quinton Byfield currently occupy the top three spots down the middle, and none of them would appear to be included in the swap with Winnipeg when the trade goes through. Could Dubois shift to wing alongside Danault, giving him some more freedom offensively alongside a world-class shutdown center?

Snapshots: Dubois, Lucic, Galchenyuk

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The Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets appeared close to a Pierre-Luc Dubois trade over the weekend, but things haven’t progressed as quickly as expected. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that there is “still work to be done” and that the Jets haven’t even given Los Angeles permission to discuss an extension with the center.

Arpon Basu of The Athletic, meanwhile, tweets that the Montreal Canadiens are still open to finding a way to make it work, if the Kings aren’t able to close the deal. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that the Canadiens have re-engaged, making it unclear where Dubois will actually end up.

  • One landing spot has been ruled out for Milan Lucic, as Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reports that the Vancouver Canucks are no longer in the mix. The Canucks had reportedly expressed interest in the pending free agent forward, who will be leaving the Calgary Flames after three seasons. Now 35, there is no longer much offensive upside in the veteran forward, but he can still be an imposing physical presence on the ice.
  • Alex Galchenyuk, the player acquired by the Nashville Predators in yesterday’s Ryan Johansen deal, will not be re-signed by the team according to LeBrun. His inclusion was simply to clear a contract slot off the books for the Colorado Avalanche. The 29-year-old Galchenyuk played just 11 games in the NHL this season, failing to record a single point.

Poll: What Has Been The Most Impactful Pre-Draft Trade?

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The 2023 NHL Draft is now only three days away, and there has already been a flurry of activity in the NHL trade market. Yesterday, we saw the Colorado Avalanche acquire Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators, and the Arizona Coyotes acquire Sean Durzi from the Los Angeles Kings. Following up on those deals, there is heavy expectation that the St. Louis Blues will acquire Kevin Hayes from the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Carolina Hurricanes will add back Anthony DeAngelo to their lineup. If yesterday didn’t bring enough action, it’s also expected that the Kings are close to acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets.

After losing Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames last offseason, the Avalanche had a very difficult time replacing the void left by Kadri on the team’s second forward line. Throughout this past season, Colorado originally tried to patrol Alex Newhook in that role, but after failing to live up to expectations, J.T. Compher was thrust into that role. Compher did excel, scoring 17 goals and 35 assists this season, the best statistical performance of his career. Unfortunately for the Avalanche, Compher is set to enter unrestricted free agency, and Colorado may not have the cap space to retain him.

By acquiring Johansen from the Predators, the Avalanche clearly wanted to make an outside move to complete their second line. This past season, Johansen did not play particularly well, scoring 12 goals and 16 assists in 55 games, having his season ended by a foot injury in February. However, the year prior, Johansen was a proficient offensive player in Nashville, scoring 26 goals and 37 assists.

Sticking in the Central Division, the expected acquisition of Hayes for the Blues should fill the void left behind by Ryan O’Reilly last season. Hayes has very much had an up-and-down career, having much of his time spent in Philadelphia hampered by injuries. This past season, he did have the best offensive output so far with the Flyers, scoring 18 goals and 36 assists in 81 games. It was well known that Hayes and head coach John Tortorella sparred quite consistently, and it was becoming more and more clear that his time in Philadelphia would be coming to an end.

In Los Angeles, the Kings’ trade of Durzi largely indicated that the team was trying to move out money to acquire better talent. In Durzi, Los Angeles largely had a defenseman that was exceptional at moving the puck but was not as responsible on the defensive side of the game. He did score 38 points last year for the Kings, but the underlying defensive metrics were not positive. Opening up $1.7MM with that trade, it has now been reported that the Kings are expected to acquire Dubois, as well as sign him to an extension. Not only will this move allow the Kings to strengthen their second line, but by being able to move Phillip Danault to the third-line center position, Los Angeles may be one of the deepest teams in the Western Conference.

Lastly, the Hurricanes are bringing back a familiar face, as reports indicate that Carolina and Philadelphia are working on a trade. Last offseason, the Hurricanes felt that DeAngelo’s asking price on his next contract was too rich for their blood, and moved him to the Flyers for three draft picks. By acquiring DeAngelo, Carolina now has four defensemen set to hit unrestricted free agency next season, even though it does strengthen their blue line for next year.

After all the moves up to this point, which player do you think will have the biggest impact on their next team?

What Has Been The Most Impactful Pre-Draft Trade?
Pierre-Luc Dubois (Los Angeles) 41.14% (476 votes)
Ryan Johansen (Colorado) 30.16% (349 votes)
Kevin Hayes (St. Louis) 15.73% (182 votes)
Sean Durzi (Arizona) 6.83% (79 votes)
Anthony DeAngelo (Carolina) 6.14% (71 votes)
Total Votes: 1,157

Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois, Los Angeles Kings

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After months of rumors regarding Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois and his hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens, Dubois’ long-term landing spot has finally come into focus.

TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reported this morning that the Los Angeles Kings “continue to pursue Pierre-Luc Dubois,” and The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta followed up reporting on a trade being worked on that would land Dubois in Los Angeles with “multiple players/pieces” going to Winnipeg, including forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo. Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe adds that he’s “expecting F Jansen Harkins to be involved” in a Dubois trade to Los Angeles as well.

Now, The Athletic’s Murat Ates has given a more firm indication that Dubois could be headed to California, reporting that the Kings and Dubois are “talking contract extension,” and although there are still things to be worked out regarding the deal and the exact trade, “things are well on their way” toward Dubois landing in Los Angeles.

That would be a relatively surprising outcome given the strong indications over the ongoing Dubois trade saga that his preferred destination was Montreal. But finding an ideal match between the Jets and Canadiens for a Dubois trade seems to have been difficult, especially since Montreal would likely be loath to surrender rising center Kirby Dach as part of a trade package. Los Angeles has a deeper pool of NHL-ready assets to attract the Jets as a trade partner, which is likely why a Dubois to L.A. move has gotten significantly more concrete momentum than a Dubois-to-Montreal trade.

For the Kings, adding Dubois is in large part about succession planning for the eventual end of incumbent number-one center Anze Kopitar’s playing career.

Kopitar, 35, scored 74 points and showed no real signs of slowing down this past season but with his contract set to expire next summer, Kopitar’s future is becoming more and more of a team focus.

A top-of-the-lineup number-one center might just be the hardest thing to acquire in the NHL, and given the slower-than-expected development of 2020 second-overall pick Quinton Byfield, Dubois represents perhaps the best chance the Kings have at finding a franchise face for when Kopitar’s playing days are over.

Dubois and Kopitar are represented by the same agent, CAA’s Pat Brisson, so that shared relationship could aid the Kings in their efforts to lock up Dubois as their next star forward.

It’s still up for debate whether Dubois is a true number-one center in the NHL. He scored 63 points in 77 games this past season and has certainly shown flashes of greatness, but he has also left fans wanting more at both NHL stops in his career.

In the immediate term, Dubois would be an exceptional complement to Kopitar in the team’s top-six, and would shift Danault into a third-line center role. Danault, who scored 54 points last season and is among the league’s most well-respected defensive centers, would instantly become arguably the league’s top third-line pivot and their new arrangement would give the Kings some of the best center depth in the NHL.

Seeing as Dubois has been rumored to be seeking a maximum-term contract extension that mirrors the financial value of the $8.7MM contract Dylan Larkin received from the Detroit Red Wings, by actively attempting to acquire and extend him it’s clear the Kings believe in Dubois’ potential to be Kopitar’s successor as a number-one center. All that’s left now is for the team to complete the deal and for Dubois to prove them right on the ice next season.

For the Jets, this trade is about moving forward from a player who didn’t see a long-term future for himself in Winnipeg and getting the best possible return for the one year left of control they have over Dubois’ services. While a trade has yet to be completed and the rumored return centering around Iafallo and Vilardi is still just that, a rumor, Vilardi’s presence as a centerpiece player reveals the Jets’ priorities in their trade negotiations.

Despite facing quite a few significant departures in the next few weeks, the Jets remain committed to building around their established stars such as Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey.

Getting Vilardi and locking him down to a long-term contract would add another building block into the mix, especially after Vilardi’s breakout 2022-23 campaign where he scored 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games. While Vilardi has been a winger at the NHL level, he does have some prior experience playing center and the Jets could be planning on trying Vilardi down the middle again if they do end up acquiring him.

Again, it must be stressed that no trade is completed at the current moment and that how Winnipeg fares in this trade will likely come down to whether Vilardi is indeed the centerpiece of the deal and what other players, prospects, or picks are involved. At this moment the most concrete development that has been reported is that Dubois’ camp is actively negotiating an extension with the Kings, meaning the long-awaited trade could be just around the corner.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

West Notes: Hanifin, Goligoski, Dubois

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While Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin hasn’t given the team a list of teams he’d be willing to sign an extension with to help facilitate a trade, he has given them one clue at least.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that the blueliner has made it known that he would like to return to the United States.  Hanifin is set to enter the final year of his contract with a $4.95MM AAV that is well below market value.  As a result, there should be strong interest in the 26-year-old who, on top of logging over 20 minutes a night, has recorded 86 points over the last two seasons.  With the draft getting underway on Wednesday, Hanifin’s name is likely to come up in further trade speculation over the coming days.

Elsewhere around the Western Conference:

  • This past season was a tough one for Wild blueliner Alex Goligoski who wound up being a frequent healthy scratch. However, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic report (subscription link) that the 37-year-old has decided that he wants to return next season and since he has a full no-move clause, it’s safe to say he’ll now be sticking around.  Goligoski has one year left on his contract with a $2MM AAV and with him not getting moved now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see if they can create a market for Jonathon Merrill who has two years left at a $1.2MM AAV to try to create a little extra cap flexibility.
  • There could be some more moves coming soon, as the Winnipeg Jets are “gaining traction” on a Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, per The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. There isn’t a clear front-runner for his services at this point, but the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens have seen their names mentioned the most of any in recent trade rumors.  The influx of pre-draft trades has been started with Kevin Hayes, Ryan Johansen, and Sean Durzi all on the move today.

Poll: Where Will Pierre-Luc Dubois Play Next Season?

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During the Stanley Cup Final, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reported that Pierre-Luc Dubois and his agent had requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets. This will be the second time Dubois has done that throughout his young career, already having his request granted once after being traded for Patrik Laine back in 2021.

Since being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the former third-overall selection has become a valuable offensive piece for Winnipeg. This season, in a similar fashion to last year, Dubois finished with 27 goals and 36 assists in 73 games played. With plenty of teams in need of depth up the middle of the ice, the Jets could receive a decent haul for Dubois.

A native of the province of Quebec, the probable landing spot for Dubois would be the Montreal Canadiens. A team that is rebuilding through the draft and acquiring prospect capital, Dubois would be a natural fit behind captain Nick Suzuki. The Colorado Avalanche and the Boston Bruins could both use a young second-line center, and Dubois’ style of play would certainly fit both lineups. Lastly, although severely limited by the salary cap, the Los Angeles Kings had an interest in Dubois, dating back to his time in Columbus.

Where do you think Dubois will play next season?

Where Will Pierre-Luc Dubois Play Next Season?
Montreal Canadiens 38.85% (1,024 votes)
Los Angeles Kings 28.15% (742 votes)
Other (Comment Below) 12.86% (339 votes)
Colorado Avalanche 8.08% (213 votes)
Boston Bruins 7.13% (188 votes)
Winnipeg Jets 4.93% (130 votes)
Total Votes: 2,636

Pacific Notes: Kings, Barbashev, Bouchard

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The Kings have been linked as a legitimate suitor for Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois as the middleman has made it known that he’d like to be moved this summer.  Eric Stephens of The Athletic examines (subscription link) what the pros and cons would be if Los Angeles was to land the 24-year-old.  He’d certainly give them a big boost down the middle alongside Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault but fitting his reported asking price (suggested as being in the $9MM range on a long-term deal) would require them moving a roster player or two at a minimum plus other young players or prospects to facilitate a swap.  Making that move would also limit what they’re able to do between the pipes to find a playing partner for Pheonix Copley.  In the end, Stephens feels that the Kings would be better off not making the move, we’ll see if GM Rob Blake feels the same way in the coming weeks.

More from the Pacific:

  • The Golden Knights and winger Ivan Barbashev discussed an extension prior to the playoffs but the two sides were too far apart, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link). Now, on the heels of a strong playoff performance, that gap has likely only widened.  Friedman speculates that the 27-year-old could land a max-term contract on the open market (seven years if he doesn’t re-sign) which could push his price tag to more than double the $2.25MM AAV he has played on the last two seasons.
  • Postmedia’s Jim Matheson opines that an offer sheet for Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard could really put the team in a bind this summer. The 23-year-old broke out following the trade of Tyson Barrie at the trade deadline and found another gear in the playoffs, leading all blueliners in scoring despite the fact that Edmonton was eliminated in the second round.  Edmonton currently only has around $5MM in cap room per CapFriendly with multiple players to sign with that money.  They’ll need to get creative to afford a bridge deal let alone a longer-term one which leaves them potentially vulnerable for the time being.

Snapshots: Flames, Tkachuk, Kings

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Today, the Calgary Flames made the news official, hiring Ryan Huska as their next head coach. It appears, however, that their AHL head coach, Mitch Love, is not entirely enthusiastic about the Flames’ decision. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reports that although Love still has term left on his current contract with the Flames’ organization, he is open to all options moving forward.

Over the last two seasons, Love has been the head coach of the Stockton Heat, and now the Calgary Wranglers. In 140 games leading the bench, Love has accrued a total record of 96-33-9-3, finishing first in the Pacific Division in both seasons. Last season, he led the Heat to the Western Conference Finals in the Calder Cup playoffs and surprisingly were upset in the Division Finals this year by the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

In speaking with the media this afternoon, new Calgary General Manager, Craig Conroy, had this to say about Love’s situation, “Mitch is going to be a head coach in the NHL, 100%. I don’t question that, nor does he. But it’s all about being in a room with elite athletes with huge contracts, the rinks, the media… it’s a whole different animal when you get to NHL. The pressure that goes along with being a head coach in a Canadian Market when you’re trying to learn on the fly, the refs, the travel… the media… it’s a different beast in the NHL and I think to put him in that situation now wasn’t fair” (Tweet Link).

Conroy does seem to have faith that Love will one day become a head coach at the NHL level but deemed that the pressure in a Canadian market would be too much to handle for the young coach. The question is up in the air for how many General Managers across the league share the same opinion when it comes to Love, which could project him to an assistant coaching role in Calgary in the near future.

Other snapshots:

  • Having missed quite a bit of ice time during the Florida Panthers Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that forward Matthew Tkachuk was not seen at the Panthers’ practice today. Because of the nature of hockey players, especially during the Stanley Cup playoffs, it should still be expected for Tkachuk to play in an incredibly important Game 5. Being the deepest the young forward has ever gone through the playoffs, Tkachuk has shown signs of wear and tear throughout the last couple of series.
  • In recent reporting, it has been indicated that center Pierre-Luc Dubois will not sign a new contract with the Winnipeg Jets, and has requested a trade from the team. Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period reports that the last time Dubois was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Los Angeles Kings finished second to the Jets. It appears that Los Angeles still has quite a bit of interest in bringing Dubois into the mix, but with only a projected $7.3MM in cap space this summer, it will be difficult to sign Dubois to a long-term contract without moving out a significant contract.

 

Central Notes: Dubois, Stars, Blues Assistants

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The Pierre-Luc Dubois situation in Winnipeg is certainly far from desirable with reports indicating his camp has told the Jets that he has no desire to re-sign with them for his final year of RFA eligibility next season.  To that end, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press suggests that the team needs to look inward to determine why a player in the prime of his career with an opportunity for an even bigger role next season (if Mark Scheifele is moved) is so fixated on leaving.  It was a rough season for the Jets this season who went from leading the Central Division to barely squeaking into a Wild Card spot before being the first team out of the playoffs, leading to head coach Rick Bowness publicly calling the team out at the end of the series.  In essence, moving out Dubois is only one part of the picture while determining and fixing the root causes of the discontent could be the biggest part of the summer for Winnipeg.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • When he met with the media earlier this week (video link), Stars GM Jim Nill indicated that he’s hoping to leave himself some more cap flexibility to start next season. Dallas was among the teams that shuffled players to and from the minors to bank a few extra thousand dollars in cap room here and there which didn’t leave them much flexibility to work with at the trade deadline.  Acknowledging that free agency isn’t the deepest this summer, Nill feels that a trade is their best chance at making an impact addition which would require them to bank a lot more cap room in-season than they have been.  That said, it’s a lofty goal as they have a little over $7MM in space at the moment per CapFriendly with likely five forward spots to fill including RFA Ty Dellandrea.
  • The Blues are hoping to fill their two assistant coach vacancies by the end of the month, notes Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. GM Doug Armstrong recently indicated that the process is now in the hands of head coach Craig Berube to pare down the candidates.  It’s expected that they will hire a defense coach to take the place of Mike Van Ryn but Armstrong suggested that St. Louis could look to take a different route when trying to fill Craig MacTavish’s open spot and are considering a skills or development coach for that role.  Assistant Steve Ott and goalie coach David Alexander remain in their roles from this season.

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