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After months of rumors regarding the Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois And his hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens, Dubois’ long-term landing spot has finally come into focus.
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports This morning the Los Angeles Kings “continued the chase.” Pierre-Luc Dubois,” And David Pagnotta followed in the fourth period Reporting on the trade being worked out would move Dubois to Los Angeles, with “many players/pieces” going to Winnipeg, including forwards. Gabriel Vilardi And Alex Ifalo, Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe says He’s “expecting f.” jansen harkins Dubois in Los Angeles to join the business as well.
Now, Murat Ates of Athletic has There was a further strong indication that Dubois could be sent to California, with reports that the Kings and Dubois are “talking about a contract extension”, though the deal and the exact trade are still to be worked out. The rest, “things are going well” way” toward DuBois Landing in Los Angeles.
It would be a relatively surprising result given the strong indications going on in the Dubois trade saga that his preferred destination was Montreal. But finding an ideal match between the Jets and Canadiens for the Dubois trade has been difficult, especially since Montreal would be unwilling to surrender the budding center. Kirby Terrace As part of a business package. Los Angeles has a deep pool of NHL-ready assets to attract the Jets as a trade partner, which is why the Dubois-to-LA relocation gained significantly more solid momentum than the Dubois-to-Montreal trade. .
For the Kings, adding Dubois is largely about succession planning for the eventual end of the current number-one center. ang kopiterSports career of.
The 35-year-old Kopitar scored 74 points last season and showed no real signs of slowing down, but with his contract set to expire next summer, Kopitar’s future is becoming more and more of a team focus.
Achieving a top-of-the-lineup number-one center could be the toughest thing to do in the NHL, and given the expectedly slow development of 2020 second-overall picks quinton byfieldWhen Kopitar’s playing days are over, Dubois represents perhaps the best chance for the Kings to find a franchise face.
Dubois and Kopiter are represented by the same agent, CAA’s Pat Brisson, so that shared relationship may aid the Kings in their efforts to lock down Dubois as their next star forward.
It is still debatable whether Dubois is truly the number one center in the NHL. He scored 63 points in 77 games last season and has certainly shown glimpses of greatness, but he has left fans wanting more at both NHL stops in his career.
In the immediate term, Dubois would be an exceptional complement to Kopitar in the team’s top six, and move Danault into the third-line center role. Danault, who scored 54 points last season and is one of the league’s most respected defensive centers, will immediately become the pivot of the league’s top third line and his new arrangement will give the Kings some of the best center depth in the NHL.
Dubois is rumored to be seeking a maximum term contract extension which reflects the financial value of the $8.7MM contract. Dylan Larkin Having acquired him from the Detroit Red Wings, actively attempting to acquire and extend him, it is clear that the Kings believe in Dubois’ ability to be Kopitar’s successor as the number-one center. All that’s left now is for the team to close the deal and for Dubois to prove himself right next season.
For the Jets, this trade is about moving on from a player who doesn’t see a long-term future for himself in Winnipeg and getting the best possible return on Dubois’ services for the one year they have control over them. Although a trade has not yet been completed and the rumored return centering around Iafalo and Vilardi is still a rumor, Vilardi’s presence as a centerback player reveals the Jets’ priorities in their trade talks.
Despite facing some key departures over the next few weeks, the Jets remain committed to building around their established stars kyle connor And josh morrissey,
Acquiring Vilardi and locking him down on a long-term contract would add another building block to the mix, especially after Vilardi’s breakout 2022-23 campaign where he scored 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games. While Vilardi has been a winger at the NHL level, he has some prior experience playing center and the Jets may plan to try Vilardi in the middle again if they eventually acquire him.
Again, it should be emphasized that no trade has been completed at this point in time and how Winnipeg plays out in this trade will likely depend on whether Vilardi is truly the centerpiece of the deal and other players. , possibilities, or selections. The most concrete development that has been reported at this point is that Dubois’ camp is actively negotiating an extension with the Kings, meaning the long-awaited trade could be just around the corner.
Photos courtesy of USA TODAY Sports Images
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