4 Offseason Buyout Landing Spots for Kings Forward Pierre-Luc Dubois
The Los Angeles Kings acquisition of forward Pierre-Luc Dubois ended up being one of the biggest offseason busts of the 2023-24 season.
After sending Alex Iafallo, Gabe Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari to the Winnipeg Jets for Dubois, the Kings signed him to a massive eight-year, $68 million contract.
The first year did not go anywhere close to what anybody wanted.
Dubois recorded 40 points in 82 games, before having a forgettable playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers where he scored just one goal (with no assists) in their five-game series loss.
Now the Kings have a big decision to make. Do they hold on to Dubois and hope he turns things around and gets back on track to give them some value over the remainder of that contract? Or do they look for a potential out this offseason?
They actually have a couple of potential outs that could be at their disposal.
For one, his no-movement clause does not kick in until next season so there is a potential window to trade him without issue.
There is also a potential buyout option that gets intriguing depending on when the buyout window opens. If the buyout window opens before June 24, when Dubois turns 26, they could potentially buy out his contract for one-third of its current value. It would be a lengthy buyout, but the salary cap hit would never exceed $3.8 million, and even when it did get that high it would not be for a few years.
Players bought out before turning 26 can be bought out at one-third of their contract.
Anything after that is two-thirds. That is a massive difference.
The buyout window begins 24 hours after the Stanley Cup Final ends. So a lot of this depends on when the Stanley Cup is awarded. But let's assume just for laughs the Kings had the opportunity at their disposal and decided to buy out the remainder of his deal, making him an unrestricted free agent. Let's take a look at some potential landing spots for him.
Montreal Canadiens
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This is, quite honestly, the most likely and maybe most logical destination, mainly because it has long been assumed that Dubois ultimately wants to play for Montreal.
They also have a major need for more center depth behind captain and top-line center Nick Suzuki. After trading Sean Monahan at the deadline their other centers this season were Jake Evens and Alex Newhook and that just is not good enough to make a difference in a loaded Atlantic Division.
As disappointing as Dubois' 2023-24 season was, he still has a track record of productive hockey and can be an excellent two-way, possession-driving play.
In the two years before joining the Kings, he scored at least 27 goals and 60 points in the previous two seasons. Suzuki and Cole Caufield are the only Canadiens players that reached those numbers this season.
Get him into a city where he wants to be, with a fresh start, and with a better contract than his current Kings deal and there is still a chance you can get a lot of value out of him.
Boston Bruins
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Geographically speaking Boston is relatively close to Montreal and could be the next best option if that is important to Dubois.
It is also another team that could use center help.
For as good as the Bruins are this season, they still have a pretty big need for more center depth, especially after losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí to retirement before the 2023-24 season. Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha did a fine job taking on larger roles this season, but neither is the difference-maker you expect to have on a Stanley Cup-winning team. That might be the one thing that ends up holding them back this season with Florida, Carolina, and New York still in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
While Dubois is not a superstar either, he might still have the highest upside of the three and could help form a formidable group down the middle if he returns to the form he showed before this season.
Seattle Kraken
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The Kraken took a pretty big step backwards in 2023-24, and a drop in offense was the biggest culprit in that regression.
Shooting percentages dropped across the board after most of their players saw career highs in 2022-23, and reigning 2022-23 Calder Trophy winner Matthew Beniers took a big step backward.
Center depth is a big need, and for all of his flaws and disappointments this season a potentially free agent Dubois would probably be one of the best players available at the position given his past production and age.
Only two forwards topped the 20-goal and 45-point mark. They would be in no position to thumb their noses at a player that can get close to those numbers in what is regarded as a disappointing down year.
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Washington Capitals
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The Capitals are entering a really bizarre offseason because they could really choose to take this thing in any number of directions.
They made the playoffs and still have Alex Ovechkin pursuing the NHL's all-time goals record. Those two facts make it hard to imagine they would be willing to just start rebuilding and give up on competing.
If they decided it is worth pursuing a playoff spot again as long as Ovechkin is still playing, their biggest need is pretty obvious -- center.
Nicklas Backstrom's career looks finished and Evgeny Kuznetsov was traded to Carolina at this year's trade deadline. Dylan Strome has been very serviceable as their top center option, but he is not enough to make an impact. Connor McMichael has also not had a breakout offensively just yet.
The Capitals love big, powerful forwards that can drive possession, and Dubois might be a decent fit for their style of play when he is going at his best.
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