Pierre-Luc Dubois didn’t expect to be traded after only one year remaining on his eight-year contract, but he has “no hard feelings” toward the Los Angeles Kings. As for what went wrong with the Californian club, the Quebecer is careful not to go into details…
A week has passed since the one-for-one trade sending Dubois to the Washington Capitals for goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
Last week, Kings general manager Rob Blake took responsibility for the forward’s meager offensive production – 40 points in 82 games -, saying he had failed to “integrate him into the right roles within the team.” the team.” “It was not a good fit for us and we take responsibility for that,” he added.
Dubois did not comment on Blake’s words Wednesday in his first media availability since the trade. Instead, he explained, without going into detail, that “in hockey, sometimes there are things that work and others that don’t work.”
We all have an opinion of what happened, of what we could have done better, but at the end of the day, it’s in the past. I make the decision not to dwell too much on the past, but to focus more on the future. They have an opinion, you have an opinion, I have an opinion, but at the end of the day, it’s of no use for the future.
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Even if he is aware of not having had the season that he “hoped for”, nor the one that the leaders of the Kings “hoped to [lui] », the 26-year-old striker did not expect to change teams this summer. Obviously, no one signs an eight-year contract planning to change their address 365 days later – or 364 in this case. Especially since Dubois has played for three different teams since 2020. A little stability, we guess, would be welcome…
“When I went to the World Championships, it was a bit to turn the page on the season. As the tournament progressed, I found myself playing better and better. […] Was there perhaps, in the back of my mind, a doubt that this would happen? Maybe, but I think it’s a bit too much to think negatively, about things you can’t control. »
More than once, Dubois has repeated that hockey “is a business,” that teams “do what’s best for them.” “It ends there, it’s nothing personal,” he insisted.
An “extra motivation”
Dubois nevertheless seemed to feel genuine joy in joining the Washington Capitals, a team he “was excited to watch on TV when [il] was young. The native of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts was on a plane when he was informed of the transaction; after the “surprise” of changing teams against his will for the first time in his career, he quickly felt “excitement”.
Quickly, he was in contact with the leaders of the Capitals. And this contact, he said, gave him the impression of a “perfect fit”.
“The first conversations I had with them, with the general manager or the coaching staff, it’s exactly what you want to hear as a player. You want to have an opportunity to show the best you have, to be the best player you can be, and that’s exactly what they said I was going to be able to do. »
On several occasions, Dubois spoke of this positive first impression. He who considers himself “still very young” at 26 years old, believes he still has “a lot of things to learn in this league”.
When you come to a new team, there are new opportunities to learn things about yourself, not only on the ice, but off it as well. I think I still have another level to reach.
Pierre-Luc Dubois
To achieve this, the secret is that of communication, believes the Quebecer.
“The coaching staff will be able to decide where they employ me. From there, it’s my job to do the best I can. When there is communication, clear communication, white and black, I think that is the best environment to grow and progress. Based on the conversations I’ve had from the coaching staff, it sure sounds like that’s how things will go, so it’ll be exciting to work with them. »
In Washington, Dubois joins an aging core that needed reinforcements at center. He also reunites with his former roommate with the national junior team, Dylan Strome. “I’m joining a team that has a lot of talent, with good players, with a good mix of young and veteran,” summarized the 6’4″, 225 lb forward.
In September, he will arrive in Washington with “extra motivation”. The one born from his difficult 2023-2024 season offensively, and from an exchange that he had not planned…
“You can look at the situation in all sorts of different ways. I decide to look at this as an opportunity that excites me. […] I think it will be a very good thing for my career. »