P-L Dubois versus Darcy Kuemper: one NHL executive’s idea

Pierre-Luc Dubois’ first season in Los Angeles turned out to be a nightmare.

He didn’t live up to expectations because he fell back into bad habits…

As a result, there’s already talk of the Kings trading him.

But we know what the problem is with this idea.

Dubois earns an astronomical salary of $8.5 million… And his contract expires in seven years (!!!), at the end of the 2030-2031 season.

That’s a lot of money for a guy who finished last season with a meagre 40 points in 82 games.

That said, Jeff Marek shared an interesting proposal in a recent article.

He explains that an NHL executive wrote to him wondering if Dubois might be of interest to the Capitals:

An executive from an NHL team (not Los Angeles or Washington) wrote to me wondering if a Pierre-Luc Dubois for Darcy Kuemper trade might make sense for both teams. – Jeff Marek

After all, the Kings are looking for a reliable goaltender to compete…

And the Caps could use Dubois to build around, as the rebuild approaches in Washington. #ProblemSwap

The Habsolument Fan site also covered the news:

What you need to know is that Kuemper lost his number one position in Washington to Charlie Lindgren.

And given that he still has three years left on his contract at $5.25 per season… let’s just say that’s an expensive price to pay for a number-two goaltender.

The Capitals would have to add salary to compensate, however, because there’s still so much money left on Dubois’ contract… But on paper, the idea may make sense.

The Kings have no goaltender signed for next season, and Kuemper has already lifted the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche.

A change of scenery could be good for him, as he still has a lot to give at the age of 34.

But my question is this.

We know how bad Dubois’ attitude is, and has been ever since he entered the National League.

Why would the Capitals bet on him, especially in the context of a rebuild? At that salary, Dubois should be a leader on the ice, and this season has been just the opposite.

It seems to me that the Caps would be shooting themselves in the foot more than anything else…

In gossip

– He’s so underrated.

– They’ll have to wake up… and fast.

– Minor changes in Anaheim:

– He’s dominant.

– That would be quite a feat.