Pierre-Luc Dubois Trade Grades
ICYMI, Pierre-Luc Dubois is now a Washington Capital. The Los Angeles Kings pulled the plug on the experiment after dealing him for Darcy Kuemper earlier today. Both players are on contracts that many consider negative value. It was a one-for trade without any salary retention for both sides. However, one team has to be a winner, right? Let’s take a look into how both the Caps and Kings fared here.
Washington Capitals: C-
Forgive me for not understanding the thought process here. You’re trying to transform a player with a reputation as one of the laziest and most toxic in all of hockey into a first-line center? I’m just not buying it. Maybe PLD improves after leaving LA and no longer feeling the weight of expectations that Rob Blake had for him. The Kings did give up an absolute haul for him and paid him handsomely. I mean, if he does not improve on the 40 points he scored in 82 games last year then this is a complete disaster. Already they are working behind the 8 ball here but it feels like C- is generous.
At 25 (26 in a few days), we know the book on Dubois. A talented offensive player who has shown an ability to get into dangerous areas and produce in the past. However, his personality is not what winning locker rooms desire at all. He cried and requested trades out of two different teams in the past five years. He had the excuse of being in Canada and Columbus previously. However, there was no excuse for how last year went.
He severely underwhelmed on a previous playoff team and stuck out like a sore thumb at times. Many saw him as a key problem for a dysfunctional Kings team that often took one step forward and two steps back. Fans almost consider it addition by subtraction at this point, and I just don’t see how it improves in DC. Best of luck to them, because you now have two of the laziest players in the league together with Dubois and an aging Alex Ovechkin. They are gambling on the upside of Dubois which far too many teams have already done. They could very well have $8.5 million burning a hole in their cap sheet in the next year or two (ironic because they bought CapFriendly).
Los Angeles: B+
The fact that the Kings got out of his deal and did not have to retain anything is a win. Yes, Kuemper is not a great contract but that only goes on for three more years. They essentially freed up $3 million in cap space while also addressing a need in net. He was very good in the brief period he played in LA and should have a healthy competition with David Rittich next season.
They have a lot of free agents to figure out and a move like this helps. Many of the guys hitting the open market might be more inclined to return because of Dubois’ departure. We already saw that happen with Connor Hellebuyck when he left Winnipeg! If I were Washington I would have at least asked for a pick or something to slightly sweeten the deal. Blake probably told them over the phone that he saw the same things in PLD that they think they see right now. I am not giving them an A because that would be more dependent on how Kuemper does on the ice. However, this is a creative and effective way to right a wrong that could have haunted them for a long time.
All it took was one year of Pierre-Luc Dubois and the Los Angeles Kings had enough. They were lucky to find a taker in Washington and even bring back a familiar face.
