Pierre-Luc Dubois is one of the highest-paid players on the Los Angeles Kings roster but his play so far in the 2023-24 NHL regular season doesn't reflect his expensive contract. Through 47 games with Los Angeles, PLD has only managed to record 10 goals and 10 assists. His struggles and lack of production have led to strong reactions from the team's fanbase and insiders, including Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period.
“(PL Dubois) is the most disappointing player in the league this year, there's no question,” Bernstein said during a recent appearance on Winnipeg Sports Talk.
The Kings have tried several tactics to get a consistently high level of play from Dubois, but so far, he only has those 20 points to show so far in his first season with the franchise. Dubois was traded to Los Angeles back in June by the Winnipeg Jets for Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 pick, and he carried with him a contract that has a cap hit of $8.5 million until the 2030-31 season.
With the Kings in a state of disarray on the ice after a hot start to the season, lots of eyes are on Dubois amid his subpar play. The Kings won 20 of their first 31 games. They have gone 2-8-6 since and are 0-2-2 over their last four games heading into a date with the Nashville Predators on the road this Wednesday. In 14 games since the calendar flipped to 2024, Dubois only has three goals and three assists. Moreover,he has one point (a goal) in the last seven Kings outings. That must be so infuriating for Los Angeles and its fans, who thought the team was getting a major boost to its offense when it acquired the former No. 3 pick.