Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Kings entered the summer looking to take that next step. And they had two ways to go about it. Los Angeles could spend big on either a top-line center or a top-end goaltender. In the end, general manager Rob Blake decided on the former. With the dust settling on the NHL offseason, let's take a deeper look at the Kings trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois and hand out some grades.
Full trade
The Los Angeles Kings acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets. In exchange, the Jets acquired forwards Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round draft pick. As part of the trade, the Kings signed Dubois to an eight-year contract worth $8.5 million per season.
Kings acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois
There is a lot to like about Dubois from the Kings' perspective. He is only 25 years old and still can develop into an even better player. And he really is a jack-of-all-trades type of player on the ice. He can score goals, create space in the offensive zone, and feed teammates. Dubois is certainly not afraid to mix it up in the chippy areas of the ice, either.
However, this feels like a major bet on his potential. Dubois is certainly a great player, but the trade cost plus the contract makes this a massive gamble. Let's focus on the trade cost, first.
Gabe Vilardi and Alex Iafallo both produced at a 50-point pace this season. Vilardi in particular enjoyed a breakout season, scoring 23 goals while playing 63 games. Furthermore, the 23-year-old Vilardi is rather stout defensively, playing a complete 200-foot game.
The Kings also pressed the eject button on Kupari, a former top prospect. Kupari is also 23 years old but just hasn't had that breakout campaign like Vilardi this season. However, he is a former first-round pick, so could be untapped potential here that the Kings are punting on.
Then we get into the contract. Honestly, eight years makes a lot of sense. Dubois is 25, and if you feel this is your Anze Kopitar replacement, make sure he sticks around for a while. However, I'm not entirely sure if Dubois is worth $8.5 million right now.
I say this in no uncertain terms: this is the trade that will define Rob Blake's tenure as general manager of the Kings. If this works out, Los Angeles could find itself back in Stanley Cup contention for years. If not, it could backfire immensely. These are the types of swings you have to take sometimes, though. I can't exactly fault Blake for that.
Article Continues Below
Jets trade Pierre-Luc Dubois
I absolutely love what the Jets did here. Winnipeg didn't exactly have a ton of leverage here. Dubois told the Jets last summer he wasn't sticking around long-term. And he told the team this summer that he wanted a trade now instead of another bridge contract.
In the end, they get an absolute haul. As mentioned earlier, Vilardi and Iafallo produced at 50-point paces this past season. And Kupari very well could have untapped potential the Jets can attempt to unlock.
It's an incredible bit of business here. Vilardi can find his footing on a Jets team with some talent still on the roster. Iafallo is good depth down the middle and can slide into a bottom-six role for Winnipeg. If Kupari figures things out and plays like a first-round pick is expected to? I think you get the point I'm making here.
The Jets took the absolute best offer they were likely to get. However, unlike other teams in their position, they made out pretty well all things considered. They traded the best player in the deal, but I don't think they necessarily lost here.
Grades and final thoughts
The Jets get a high mark for receiving a major haul of promising assets despite having little leverage in these negotiations. Los Angeles also receives a high mark, but a slightly lower mark than Winnipeg. The Kings acquired the best player in the trade, but they took a massive gamble in doing so. And that gamble takes the grade down just a little bit.
Los Angeles Kings grade: A-
Winnipeg Jets grade: A
