Capitals head coach wants to give Pierre-Luc Dubois a ton of opportunities

The deal to send Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals came as a surprise to many in the hockey world. His stint with the Los Angeles Kings was disappointing, and his contract is very heavy for what he can bring to a team.

The Capitals, however, seem very happy to have him on their roster, especially head coach Spencer Carbery.

When questioned by the media on Monday, he explained that his discussions with Dubois had gone very well so far.

Spencer Carbery is looking to maximize a much-changed @Capitals roster both in the present and for the future @Tarik_ElBashir highlights his plan for Pierre-Luc Dubois, Matt Roy and morehttps://t.co/2uIRa80PDm

– Monumental Sports Network (@MonSportsNet) July 9, 2024

Carbery has full confidence in Dubois and is ready to give him opportunities, which he feels the Quebecer didn’t get in Los Angeles. He believes that playing center behind Phillip Danault and Anze Kopitar didn’t give him the chance to maximize his potential.

Now in a lineup with fewer established center players, he’ll have the chance to get more playing time with quality players like a certain Alex Ovechkin.

Carbery wouldn’t confirm that Dubois will be the team’s number one center alongside the number eight, but that’s the most likely situation at the moment. However, the head coach wants to wait and see how his players perform during training camp before confirming whether or not this will be the case.

Although he wouldn’t confirm Dubois’ place on the team’s first line, Carbery admitted to the media that he wants to give the Quebecer a ton of chances to shine.

Having to manage a player with a contract that will still weigh $8.5 million on the payroll and who hasn’t performed up to expectations in the past can be a daunting challenge for a coach. Carbery is aware of the challenge, but says he’s looking forward to it.

Despite the saga surrounding Dubois, the Quebecer doesn’t seem to have made any enemies in Los Angeles. His former teammate, Matt Roy, recently explained that if he had it in for Dubois, he would never have signed with the Capitals this summer.

Matt Roy says that Pierre-Luc Dubois was a well-liked and respected teammate, despite the narrative that the media has pushed during his time in LA.

They’ll be teammates again for the Caps next season.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/i6pOMWWGpW

– Dropping the Gloves (@dropping_gloves) July 8, 2024

Dubois doesn’t seem to be under any pressure in Washington. The organization will probably be very patient with him despite his huge contract.

Spencer Carbery is ready to work with his new player every day to help him reach the level of play everyone expected from Dubois at the start of his career.