Pierre-Luc Dubois is headed to Los Angeles. The 25 year old centre has agreed to a trade to the Kings, as well as a new 8yr/$68M extension which will see him earn an AAV of $8.5M per season.
Pending a trade call to confirm with the league, the Winnipeg Jets will be acquiring forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari, as well as a 2024 2nd round pick.
The pending RFA had previously requested a trade from Winnipeg after turning down offers from the club this past season. The Montreal Canadiens had long been linked to the Quebec born forward, with chatter increasing about a potential Habs centred deal after PLD was spotted vacationing with several Montreal players this offseason. But in the end it would be Los Angeles who offered the most attractive package to get the deal across the finish line.
Dubois registered a career high 63pts in 2022-23 after signing a 1 year contract with the Jets last offseason. Drafted 3rd overall in 2016 by Columbus, the 6’2” centre was the key piece in Winnipeg’s decision to trade Patrik Laine back in 2021.
Los Angeles now adds to their strength up the middle, as they hope to improve on their 47-25-10 record from last year. While losing Vilardi and Iafalo will hurt, the Kings clearly weren’t interested in moving on from former 2nd overall pick Quinton Byfield, who was linked to the deal as it progressed towards completion.
Meanwhile Kupari will help replenish a thinned out prospect pool for the Jets, as the 23 year old Finn will add some depth to Winnipeg’s roster. Across 130 career NHL contests, the 6’2” centre has amassed 9G and 20A for 29pts, and has mostly bounced back and forth between LA and the Ontario Reign of the AHL.
The Kings are expected to announce a press conference to introduce Dubois later this week.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: LosAngelesKingFanWhooHooyeah. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.