If you listen to the 32 Thoughts podcast, you’ll know that they cover a lot of what is going on around the league. One of the major stories currently brewing is that the Winnipeg Jets have a player that is young and wants out of the tundra in Canada yesterday. It’s gotten to the point where he will not sign a 1-year deal, and Jeff Marek seems to wonder if the New York Rangers are a fit for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
I’m going to caveat this whole thing by saying the entire hockey world, myself included, seems to believe that Dubois only wants to go home to Quebec and play for the Montreal Canadiens. This would only work with the agreement that he signs a long-term extension in his new home, whether that be with the Canadiens, Rangers, or wherever else he gets dealt. There’s nothing more useless than a player that doesn’t want to play for you.
Now, to the player himself. On the ice, there’s a lot to like. Defensively responsible, a hard forechecker, and he’s 6’2, 205 lbs so he’s got size. He’s not someone that has ever been given a chance to succeed playing on a bad Columbus roster and then getting stuck in Winnipeg when that team needed a rebuild instead of trying to fight off the urge to redo everything they had worked so hard to achieve.
As for the asset cost to get his RFA rights, Atlanta’s second failed franchise doesn’t have too much leverage. One thing we know is that Dubois will never sign for the Jets and wants out of the smallest city and permanent building in the NHL as soon as possible. For a player that has spent his entire career in Ohio and then a tundra, perhaps the bright lights of New York would be a wanted change and they could persuade him to come.
My guess is that to make this happen, Filip Chytil has to be involved. Either Chytil or Trocheck would have to go, but I can’t see anyone waiving a no-movement clause to go and play in the coldest city in the league. Chytil was recently signed, but he’s only a year younger than Dubois, who is so much more developed. Chytil would have to go for both roster and cap reasons if this happens.
I’d expect a pick to be involved, whether that is a 1st or not I don’t know. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayof is someone that likes to wait until the last moment to get things done when it comes to trades in an effort to get the best deal possible. While that may not work in his favor currently, it would mean he could perhaps start a bidding war, as unlikely as that seems given Dubois’ current unwillingness to stay.
As I mentioned, Dubois would not be willing to sign in Winnipeg as the almost 25-year-old center is a pending RFA. His agent is someone the Rangers know, Pat Brisson, who is also Patrick Kane’s agent. If a deal would be worked out for around $7.5 million a year for 7 years, I struggle to think as to why the Rangers would not bring him into the fray. He’s shown his ability to produce in the playoffs, and he’s something this team needs. If the money works, why not?