Pierre-Luc Dubois: don’t expect the CH to pay top dollar

Tonight, Pierre LeBrun dropped a bombshell on the NHL world: Pierre-Luc Dubois is officially done with the Jets, and he wouldn’t even be willing to sign a one-year contract before reaching full autonomy in the summer of 2024.

Unless there’s a surprise, then, he’s likely to have played his last game in a Jets uniform.

Obviously, upon hearing this news, it’s hard not to immediately think of the Habs. Rumors linking the forward to the club have been raging for years, and we suspect that PLD wants to play in Montreal sooner or later.

Clearly, then, having Dubois request a trade means the door is wide open if the Tricolore wants to go after him.

Yet, despite the opportunity, one thing seems clear: according to LeBrun, the Habs have no intention of paying a fortune to acquire the Quebec forward via a trade.

Lebrun on Dubois, who had asked for a trade: “The #Habs remain an interested party… having said that, I don’t think Montreal is interested in paying a fortune in a trade, especially when you consider the player as of now would be a UFA in a year. ” https://t.co/lvJCd6mOLx

– HabsLinks (@HabsLinks) June 7, 2023

The tipster seems to be saying that Montreal isn’t interested in paying the big bucks for a guy who is currently a rental player.

And that’s where the question arises: if Dubois comes with a long-term contract (seven or eight years, for example) at a reasonable salary (lower than Nick Suzuki’s, for example), does that change the team’s plans?

In reality, I expect Suzuki(even if the Jets ask for him), Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský to be the only three players who are totally untouchable, contract extension or not. I hope Kirby Dach makes that list too, but I doubt it.

I think Josh Anderson’s name is clearly one to watch for a possible deal between the two clubs. After all, we’re talking about a guy signed for the long term who has value. He’s not as young as Dach, but if the Jets want guys who are “NHL-ready”, Anderson might be in their sights.

So this will clearly be one to watch over the coming weeks, but the Tricolore really won’t be the only team in the race. The question, as I see it, is whether Kent Hughes will agree to take a chance by letting him be traded elsewhere (and hope to sign him as an autonomous player in the summer of 2024) or whether he’ll agree to give a little more to acquire him as early as this summer.

My guess is that, in the end, it will be the second option (and that Dubois will sign a long-term contract in Montreal before the start of next year), but you never know.

In gossip

– Matvei Michkov: what if the Preds went for it in front of their fans? Barry Trotz wants talented players, after all.

À VOIR | NHL scout admits that while there are many questions to be asked about the Russian player, he has talent out of the ordinary 🔥 https://t.co/m6HE1p4i7K

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) June 8, 2023

– What do you think?

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