Jets should look inward to see why Dubois wants out By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 3:33 PM CDT Thursday, Jun. 8, 2023

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/06/2023 (1234 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There are many questions swirling around Pierre-Luc Dubois these days now that news of his request to be traded from the Winnipeg Jets has gone public.

Is it Montreal or bust? Does he have an open mind about other teams, as some reports have suggested? What kind of term and salary is he looking for on his next contract? Does this get sorted out in the next few weeks, or drag out through the summer and possibly into training camp and beyond? And how, exactly, does general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff come out of this looking good?

We should have all the answers in due time. But there’s another query in this saga that few, if any, are asking. And I’d suggest it’s the most important one of all.

What the heck is going on around here that a player like PLD is so eager to get a one-way ticket out of town at his earliest opportunity? The Jets would be wise to figure that one out, and fast, even if it’s likely to uncover some uncomfortable truths.

On the surface, it makes no sense. Dubois is the type of player coaches and general managers salivate over, the kind you try to build a team around. A blend of skill and power and speed and size.

The third-overall pick from 2016 is coming off his most productive offensive season in his young career (27 goals, 36 assists in 73 regular season games), one where he was increasingly leaned on by the Jets coaching staff in big moments.

He’s been embraced by the fan base for the passion and emotion that is so evident in his game. He’s already in the conversation as the team’s No. 1 centre, a role he would surely cement if Mark Scheifele moves on, as many expect.

Dubois is a Canadian kid playing in a Canadian market, one where his own father happens to be an assistant coach for the farm team that plays out of the same arena. Money would surely be no object, with the Jets willing to pay a premium to keep him. An official role in the leadership group would likely follow a long-term contract extension.

Winnipeg has plenty of star players, including arguably the best goaltender on the planet in Connor Hellebuyck, a stud top defenceman in Josh Morrissey and highly skilled wingers to play along with Dubois such as Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor.

Yet all of that is not enough to convince him to plant roots here. Something is clearly amiss.

Why hasn’t the grass been greener in Winnipeg?

Some will point to the player himself, noting Dubois is just following a similar script. Remember, he wanted out of Columbus over a perceived conflict with then-coach John Tortorella.

So, why hasn’t the grass been greener in Winnipeg?

There’s no doubt Dubois has witnessed plenty of dysfunction in his time here — much of it coming from within the room itself. The organization tried to steady the ship a year ago by bringing veteran coach Rick Bowness on board, and it seemed to work for the first few months until bad habits re-emerged and the team imploded down the stretch.

There’s something clearly in the water here, which is why there’s so much talk this summer about the need to shake up the core. It’s just a shame a foundational piece like Dubois is apparently going to be among the casualties.

To be clear, Dubois is not without fault. He went from looking like a guy who would do whatever it takes on a nightly basis to drag his team to victory, to one who appeared checked out all too often down the stretch. No doubt he was one of the core players Bowness was referring to when he launched some verbal grenades following a five-game, first-round playoff series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

For those reasons, there will be some who say “good riddance” to Dubois. But is he the real issue here, or simply a byproduct of a poor environment? More tough questions, without any easy answers.

I’ve heard suggestions Dubois doesn’t enjoy playing under a big spotlight. Explain, then, why he’d want to go to his hometown of Montreal, where it would be magnified in a major way. (Or hockey hotbeds such as New York or Minnesota, which, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek suggested on Thursday, might also be on his wish list).

In any event, Cheveldayoff appears caught between a rock and a hard place. He has a clearly disgruntled player in Dubois, just 24 years old, who wants out based on what his agent, Pat Brisson, conveyed directly to the GM this week. But he also holds very little power in how this ultimately plays out.

If Dubois truly intends to sign with the Habs next summer, when he’d become an unrestricted free agent, good luck getting any of the other 30 NHL teams to pay much of a price for what would essentially be a one-year rental. You’d be talking pennies on the dollar, which isn’t very good business for an organization like Winnipeg which isn’t a prime location for free agents and is often on no-trade lists.

If Montreal GM Kent Hughes really wants to create some mischief, he could absolutely box Cheveldayoff in by extending an offer sheet to Dubois after July 1 (the player would need to accept it), which would force Winnipeg to match or walk away and receive compensation.

Ideally, Cheveldayoff would have seen the writing on the wall a year ago, when Dubois balked at an extension and only signed a one-year deal for US$6 million which makes him a restricted free agent again this summer.

Consider this: A one-year offer sheet to Dubois for anything under US$4.29 million would mean the Canadiens would only have to give the Jets a second-round draft pick in return. Anything between US$4.29 and US$6.43 million would require a first and third round pick.

But the Jets would match, you say? Sure, but then under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Winnipeg can’t trade Dubois within the calendar year, meaning it walks him right into UFA status next summer.

Where, presumably, he’d ink the long-term extension he desires with Montreal, and the Jets receive absolutely nothing in return for the guy they traded superstar Patrik Laine (and Jack Roslovic) for in early 2021.

Ouch.

Ideally, Cheveldayoff would have seen the writing on the wall a year ago, when Dubois balked at an extension and only signed a one-year deal for US$6 million which makes him a restricted free agent again this summer. Given that development, a trade should have been explored. Even if Montreal is the ultimate destination, other teams could have had two years of control.

For these reasons alone, it’s incumbent on Cheveldayoff to get this sorted out prior to Canada Day and salvage what he can from a rapidly diminishing asset.

Regardless of how this plays out, it’s tough to view the fact Dubois’ tenure in Winnipeg is likely only going to last two and a half years as anything but a huge loss for the organization.

If there’s any positive news for the Jets this week, it’s the report Brisson is willing to work with them to try and facilitate a move. Having a respected agent involved could potentially broaden the landscape.

The best-case scenario is Dubois not having his heart set on the Habs, and a bidding war opening up involving multiple teams which ends with a trade and a long-term extension already agreed upon, which juices the return for the Jets.

The Athletic reported on Thursday that Dubois, through his agent, is willing to submit a list of five or six teams he’d be interested in going to beyond simply one year. And that the Jets, provided they can find a suitor willing to pay their asking price, would pull off a sign-and-trade.

For a recent comparison, see what the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers pulled off last summer once it became clear Matthew Tkachuk wasn’t long for Cowtown.

Regardless of how this plays out, it’s tough to view the fact Dubois’ tenure in Winnipeg is likely only going to last two and a half years — 195 regular-season games and a dozen playoff contests — as anything but a huge loss for the organization.

Getting to the bottom of why it happened, and ensuring history doesn’t repeat itself with another star player, is key.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg