The Los Angeles Kings have completed a 1 for 1 trade with the Washington Capitals, sending forward Pierre-Luc Dubois to DC in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
The deal accomplishes two things for LA: they remove Dubois’ albatross contract from their books, while also addressing their goaltending situation. The 25 year old has completed just 1 season of his 8 year, $68M contract, scoring just 40 points (16G, 24A) across 82 contests for the Kings last year.
However, once the 2024-25 season begins, Dubois will see a no movement clause kick in, which would limit LA’s options if they hoped to move on from the 6’4″ forward.
Dubois was acquired by the Kings in June of 2023 in a deal that sent Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi, along with a second-round pick, to the Winnipeg Jets. As part of the deal, the Jets signed Dubois to an eight-year, $8.5M AAV extension before sending him to LA.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Pierre-Luc to the Caps organization,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said in a statement. “This acquisition brings in a talented 25-year-old with immense potential to become a top-tier center in the NHL. With his size, exceptional skating and high hockey IQ, we are confident he will thrive in our organization with increased responsibility and opportunity.”
Meanwhile, heading back the other way is veteran net minder Darcy Kuemper, who was running out of opportunities in the nation’s capital. “After witnessing Charlie Lindgren’s performance last season, we believe he deserves a chance to play a more significant role within our team,” MacLellan said regarding the team’s future plans between the pipes.
The 34 year old posted a 13-14-3 record for Washington last year, with a 3.31 GAA and .890 SV%. Kuemper has 3 seasons remaining on his current deal with an AAV of $5.25M per season.
The Kings previously relied on the duo of Cam Talbot and David Rittich for the majority of the season following an injury to Pheonix Copley. However, Talbot and Copley are set to become free agents this offseason, leading to some uncertainty in goal on the west coast.
Evidently Rob Blake is hoping that a combination of Kuemper and Rittich can stabilize the goaltender position for a team that continues to have championship aspirations.
Photo: Jenn G. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.