Los Angeles Kings cut losses on disappointing Dubois

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This article was published 19/06/2024 (472 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This was a branch of the trade tree that nobody saw coming.

While it no longer directly impacts the Winnipeg Jets, Wednesday’s news involving Pierre-Luc Dubois still has tongues wagging in this market.

There had been some speculation earlier this spring Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake might consider buying out the final seven years of the eight-year, US$68 million contract Dubois signed with the Jets last June before he was dealt to Hollywood, that idea was kiboshed during a media availability in early May.

When the news of the deal with the Washington Capitals for goalie Darcy Kuemper came to light, it sent shockwaves around the NHL.

With the 2024 NHL Draft just around the corner, it’s worth noting just under one year ago Kevin Cheveldayoff sent Dubois to the Kings for a package that included forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari and a second round draft choice that once belonged to the Montreal Canadiens and turns out to be the 37th overall next week in Las Vegas.

Now, this isn’t meant to be a victory lap for the Jets and Cheveldayoff, who certainly did well under the circumstances presented to them.

Dubois wasn’t willing to commit to the Jets as a restricted free agent one year away from being able to choose his destination, so he had to be moved.

Adding three forwards definitely was helpful in making the Jets’ position group deeper, though Kupari never found his form after suffering a shoulder injury in a game against the New Jersey Devils in November.

Kupari still figures to be in the mix for a fourth-line job this fall and for a team looking to add speed to the lineup, he’s a guy that can help in that department and perhaps bring a little secondary scoring despite his lengthy drought.

Iafallo played up and down the lineup last season, spending ample time up with Mark Scheifele and on the top power play when Vilardi was out with a knee injury. While his role focused more on checking and penalty killing as the season moved along, he still managed to hit double digits in goals for a sixth consecutive season after potting nine as a rookie.

Iafallo is an interesting case. With a contract that carries an AAV of US$4 million, Iafallo could be seen as a luxury item if he starts where he finished last season (on the fourth line), though there could be opportunities to move up the lineup again as well.

Vilardi was and remains the centrepiece of the Dubois trade and his impact was definitely felt in his first season with the Jets.

Vilardi, however, suffered multiple injuries and was limited to 47 games in the regular season, notching 22 goals and 36 points.

He returned late in the campaign, and while he didn’t have quite the same jump, he still put up four assists in five post-season games.

The feeling around Vilardi remains the same as when he arrived.

He’s got game and if he can find a way to be in the lineup for 70 games or more, he’s a guy who makes the power play much more dangerous, can play a top-line role and likely can surpass 30 goals with relative ease.

Vilardi still finished fourth on the Jets in goals and tied for seventh in points and his ability to generate offence from in front of the net and below the goal line on the power play, you can expect incoming assistant coach Davis Payne to lean on him when looking to spark the man-advantage.

That the Kings are cutting their losses less a one year after bringing in Dubois is an interesting development.

Last June, he was viewed as the power forward who brought incredible depth for a team that already had captain Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault down the middle.

Although he went to the big-market team he desired and cashed in with his contract, Dubois had a wildly inconsistent season and saw a signifcant drop in his ice time.

There were far too many nights when his engagement level wasn’t high enough and he finished with 16 goals and 40 points in 82 games.

Dubois was booed mercilessly in his two trips to Winnipeg from a fan base that welcomed him after he was acquired in the blockbuster that sent Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to the Columbus Blue Jackets in January of 2021.

There are plenty of folks praising Blake for getting out of the contract and not having to either buy out the seven years or attach a significant asset to moving on from him — and that take is understandable in a vacuum.

Perhaps it was never going to work with the Kings.

There is no doubt Dubois left the Kings wanting more — and that’s been a feeling that multiple coaches had in his previous stops.

So what’s in it for the Capitals?

They’re a team in transition and finished eighth in the Eastern Conference in the first season under head coach Spencer Carberry before getting swept by the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs.

They’re a team that was looking for an experienced pivot with potential after seeing Nicklas Backstrom sidelined by a hip injury and Evgeny Kuznetsov shipped to the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the trade deadline in March.

The thing with Dubois still comes down to his upside, some of which still stretches back to his playoff hat trick in the bubble series with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020.

When Dubois plays an assertive game, he can get under the skin of the opponent and draw penalties at a high rate — even if he takes some himself while straddling and occasionally crossing the line.

That the third overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft is joining his fourth organization before he turns 26 is something that few people saw coming.

No doubt it’s a red flag.

If it ends up being a wakeup call for Dubois, he could still grow into the No. 1 centre job and be a guy who helps Alex Ovechkin break the all-time goal-scoring record.

Dubois has exceeded 60 points on two occasions already and flirted with 30 goals by scoring 27 twice and 28 another time, so the talent level is there.

It’s always been there.

Now it’s up to Dubois to show that he won’t be defined by the two exits he essentially forced and the one he couldn’t have seen coming.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X: @WiebesWorld