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Pierre-Luc Dubois: don’t rule out a one-year deal in Los Angeles, reports Elliotte Friedman

 Manuel Sperandio-Lemay
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Pierre-Luc Dubois: don’t rule out a one-year deal in Los Angeles, reports Elliotte Friedman

At the moment, as you no doubt know, the Los Angeles Kings are at the heart of the Pierre-Luc Dubois file. Even if they’re not allowed to talk to him at the moment, it shouldn’t be long before they do.

After all, either the Jets will allow it… or July 1 will mark the expiration of the center’s current contract, making him RFA.

This morning, Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek of the 32 Thoughts podcast added their two cents on the matter. It really feels like the Habs aren’t dead, but they’re not strong either.

The Kings are in the driver’s seat… but the player may not sign a long-term contract.

In fact, the informant is of the opinion that the Kings are not allowed to talk to him at the moment, but that the file is progressing well in order to pick him up and extend his contract.

And on that subject, we shouldn’t be surprised if Dubois signs a one-year contract.

Why shouldn’t we be? Because by signing a one-year contract, he could allow the Kings to make him less money in 2023-2024, making it easier for him to spend the final year with a lower salary cap.

And from there, a long-term contract could be signed in 2024.

Remember that a player who wants to sign a contract extension can do so a year in advance… unless he has a one-year contract. Otherwise, it would simply be the equivalent of signing a nine-year contract.

So there could be an agreement to make Dubois a long-term member of the Kings, but in two parts.

Note that this is similar to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who signed a hostile one-year offer before signing long-term, but there are differences. Apart from the fact that KK would become RFA at the end of his one-year contract (and Dubois would be UFA in 2024 in such a scenario), the reasons differed.

KK had signed a larger one-year deal to get him out of Montreal before signing on the cheap. Dubois would be the opposite: one year at a discount before signing at a high price.

I don’t know if I believe it. After all, the player wants job security. What happens if he gets injured before signing long-term? If he doesn’t play up to expectations?

If the Kings trade him at the deadline if everything goes wrong?

But for the Kings, it’s worse. After all, the Jets aren’t going to lower the price for this plan… and there’s clearly a world where Dubois could take advantage of his autonomy in 2024 to come home.

As I said this morning, sometimes you have to consider the possible, and plans can be changed…

But hey. As I said, I don’t believe it so much since I don’t think Dubois and the Kings need so much uncertainty if the deal were to materialize. If he comes to California, I think it will be with a long-term contract right away.

That said, who am I to disagree with Elliotte Friedman? And who am I to think that Pat Brisson surely figured that in 2024, he’ll be a free agent and the cap would allow him to potentially ask for more money?

Until it’s official, there’ll be speculation. And since Dubois had a few clubs on his list, it opens the door to a bit of gossip.

Let’s talk about the Avalanche. Friedman, again on the podcast, reports that he has reason to believe the Colorado Avalanche had interest in Dubois. That said, with the arrival of Ryan Johansen, things are different.

We know that Nashville is also interested in Dubois. Have they killed two birds with one stone by getting millions of dollars out of their pockets while neutralizing a potential adversary?

But hey. What they didn’t do was take Montreal and L.A. out of the running…


In gusto

– Sad news.

– Possible.

– Ouch.

– Love this.

– Interesting.

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