Pierre-Luc Dubois’ saga in LA: Rob Blake came down to the ice to talk to him

The saga of Québécois forward Pierre-Luc Dubois in Los Angeles with the Kings caused quite a stir last season in the National Hockey League.

After being acquired at a high price from the Winnipeg Jets via trade and signed on a long-term basis (8 years at $8.5 million per year), Dubois only disappointed with the Kings, as he never really got off the ground.

He scored a paltry 40 points in all 82 regular-season games, only to be traded to the Washington Capitals this summer after just one season in Los Angeles.

To tell you just how much of a failure this transaction was for the Kings.

Anyway, now that the saga is over (for now, before it potentially resumes in Washington), several new stories are surfacing about the whole situation.

The latest involves Kings general manager Rob Blake.

According to Elliotte Friedman in the latest episode of his 32 Thoughts podcast, Rob Blake went down to the rink in his player’s gear to talk to Pierre-Luc Dubois right on the ice.

32 Thoughts Friday news & information podcast. We go through every team. Lotsa tidbits. Great editing work from @CamJBarra, pinch-hitting for Dom. Back next Friday, then returning to our regular Monday/Friday schedule.

Enjoy! https://t.co/io7Mr1RceU

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 6, 2024

Wow.

The Kings had reached this point in their ideas and potential solutions for relaunching (or rather, launching) Pierre-Luc Dubois.

For the GM himself to go out on the ice in his equipment to talk to a player, that’s serious business, and quite a sign of a last chance, as Elliotte Friedman explained.

Cont’d: “…and I was like wow, I don’t know if I ever heard that before. This is basically his last chance”

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) September 7, 2024

What was Rob Blake talking about with Dubois?

Well, basically, the Kings GM went to talk to Dubois about the importance of constant hard work, intensity and grit on the ice.

Dubois is known for being a rather nonchalant player, so Blake tried to wake up the Québécois by explaining that he had to start giving a lot more of himself on the ice every time he came on.

In the end, the conversation came to nothing, as Dubois never woke up in Los Angeles, which led to him being traded after only one year with his new team.

It will be interesting to see how the Québécois fares with the Washington Capitals this season.

After all, he’s only 26, with seven years left on his contract.

There’s still time for him to get back on track.

Overtime

– News from the CH prospects in Russia.

Habs prospects in the VHL today – Khanin didn’t dress, Volokhin was the backup again, and Kostenko scored a goal.

– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) September 7, 2024