The Darcy Kuemper experiment is officially over for the Washington Capitals. The team announced that they have traded the 34-year-old goalie to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 25-year-old center, who turns 26 later this month, has bounced around a few teams in recent seasons. Washington is his fourth stop in the NHL since he was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the third overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Here is some background about the newest member of the Capitals.
Dubois’ NHL Journey
Dubois debuted for the Blue Jackets during the 2017-18 NHL season after spending his junior career with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In his first NHL season, he tallied 20 goals and 28 assists for 48 points in 82 games. He was expected to be a future star for the club and was off to a great start. He followed that up with a stellar sophomore campaign in 2018-19 where he accrued 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points in 82 games. That was good enough to be ranked third on the roster in scoring. Only Artemi Panarin (87 points) and Cam Atkinson (69 points) had more that season.
It appeared that Dubois was fitting in nicely in Columbus. Being around talents like Panarin, Atkinson, Josh Anderson, Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Boone Jenner, and Nick Foligno among others certainly helped. He was making strides as a young player though, and Blue Jackets management might have thought at this stage that they could possibly have a core member of their squad locked up going forward. In fact, the Blue Jackets and Dubois agreed to terms on a two-year extension during the 2020-21 NHL season. It was a short time later though that things fell apart between both sides.
Related: Suggested Dubois-For-Kuemper Trade Has Merit
Dubois requested a trade from Columbus during the same 2020-21 campaign where he inked his new extension with the club. He wanted a change of scenery and got it in the form of the Winnipeg Jets, who were dealing with some stuff involving their own star player Patrik Laine. Winnipeg and Columbus completed a trade that sent Dubois and a third-round pick in 2022 for Laine and forward Jack Roslovic. It was a change that benefited Dubois on the scoresheet. The Jets are where he posted his best statistical season to date (2022-23). Overall, he put up the following while suiting up for the Jets:
- 2020-21: eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 41 games
- 2021-22: 28 goals and 32 assists for 60 points in 82 games
- 2022-23: 27 goals and 36 assists for 63 points in 73 games
In addition, Dubois chalked up the following in two postseasons for Winnipeg:
- 2020-21: three assists in seven games
- 2022-23: two goals and two assists for four points in five games
Despite the individual success Dubois had and his important role with the Jets, he eventually requested another trade. This time, he was dealt to the Kings in what was a blockbuster transaction. The Jets acquired Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round selection in 2024. The move was also a sign-and-trade for the Kings, who inked Dubois to a massive eight-year contract worth $85 million. He was joining a squad that included Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, Drew Doughty, and Kevin Fiala. Dubois was a potential missing piece for Los Angeles. He kept putting up great numbers; he just wanted out of Columbus and Winnipeg.
Dubois Coming to D.C.
The lone season that Dubois was a King did not work out for the club. It did not help that the organization gave up significant players like Vilardi and Iafallo, but management in L.A. felt like they did not get what they traded and signed up for long-term. There was even discussion around the hockey world about the Kings possibly buying out his contract this offseason, even though their GM Rob Blake denied that they were considering that option. They were one season into having Dubois there. How bad statistically was his one season with the Kings? In a full 82-game regular season, he produced just 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points. This was someone Kings management saw a future with and in the span of one season, he gets traded for Kuemper and comes to the Capitals.
While some may not like the addition and certainly the contract is a tough part of acquiring Dubois, Washington has a chance to get a player who could be a big part of their future. The reason he moved around the first two times was because he did not want to stay with those organizations. It would be different if the Blue Jackets and Jets both wanted to be done with him, but he was the one who requested the trade. The Kings may have been a bad fit for Dubois.
Just because the situation with Los Angeles did not work out does not mean the same will be the case for the Capitals. He is worth a shot and if things work out with Dubois in D.C., the Capitals have an offensive weapon locked up for the last few seasons of Ovechkin as well as many seasons of the new era after he retires. If this Dubois move does not work out though, there may be quite a few Capitals fans that are not happy with GM Brian MacLellan and his staff. Time will tell how Dubois gels with his new teammates like Ovechkin, TJ Oshie, Aliaksei Protas, John Carlson, Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, and Rasmus Sandin among others. It could be a bad fit or the start of a special pairing between Dubois and the Capitals.
