Pierre-Luc Dubois: It’s too early to pull the Canadian out of the race

Whenever Pierre-Luc Dubois’ name comes up in discussions with the Habs, it’s always the same story: does the Habs have what it takes to give the Jets what they want?

After all, even if literally every good player wants to leave Manitoba at the time of writing, the club is hoping to do as the Flames did last year: pick up some pieces to avoid a rebuild.

I don’t know if it’ll work, but Kevin Cheveldayoff is the boss. And right now, what he’s looking for doesn’t exactly fit with what the CH has to offer, which gives the Kings the edge.

As we all know, the Kings are currently in the driver’s seat. Even if salary negotiations haven’t begun with Dubois and Pat Brisson, they’re confident.

But not so fast.

Even if Rob Blake and his team are confident, the fact remains that nothing is done yet. There are a number of caveats to be taken into account, and whistleblowers are telling us to be cautious: nothing is official. In particular, Darren Dreger pleads for patience.

Even if the Kings are the favourites, let’s not forget that the Canadiens are still here. And when you know he’s part of the club’s long-term plan and wants to play here…

In short, we shouldn’t push the issue out of hand.

According to Arpon Basu (The Athletic), Dubois is indeed headed for Los Angeles, but it’s simply too early to take the Canadiens out of the running for his services.

The Habs are reportedly keeping an eye on the file, ready to act if the Kings’ plan falls through.

The good Maxime Truman used to say that “things can change quickly in the field hockey world”, and that’s what makes me say that we shouldn’t hold our breath too long, but that everything can change.

Yes, everything can change…

As a baseball guy, I feel like reminding you of the situation with shortstop Carlos Correa last year. For those unfamiliar, we’re talking about a guy who signed three contracts in the off-season.

The former Twins first signed with the San Francisco Giants for $350 million over 13 years, but didn’t pass his medical. He and his agent (the mighty Scott Boras) tried to find common ground, without much success.

Then Boras talked to Steve Cohen, owner of the New York Mets. He convinced him to offer his client $315 million over 12 years to play third base. The Mets already have a star at shortstop.

The result? Correa signed with New York, who used the same doctor as San Francisco for physical testing. To no one’s surprise, Correa’s ankle scared the Mets as much as it did the Giants.

The Mets wanted to protect themselves too much, and that’s when the Twins swooped in with a six-year, $200 million contract. Correa told his agent to “bring him home” and signed with Minnesota.

Today, he plays with the Twins.

Why do I say this? Because I want to show that even though the situations are different (Dubois isn’t UFA), things sometimes happen in unexpected ways.

And the reason Minnesota signed Correa on his terms is because he was patient and never gave up. The Twins GM didn’t let the fact that Correa signed overpriced contracts with wealthier franchises get him down.

He waited. Patiently.

It’s possible Hughes has the same attitude. He may say to himself that, right now, the terms don’t suit the Habs, but that things can change quickly.

Warning: I’m really not saying it’s going to happen. What I’m saying, for those who want to live in hope, is that sometimes things change quickly and that anything is possible when the case is complex enough, in reality.

And what characterizes both cases is that if Dubois tells the mighty Brisson to “bring it home”, it’s going to happen in Montreal.

In bursts

– It’s done: Joël Bouchard heads to Syracuse in the AHL.

– For what it’s worth, I don’t think that’s the case with PLD.

– The club disappoints.

– Interesting.