Pierre-Luc Dubois Traded to Los Angeles Kings

We all knew it had been rumored to happen, and today it went down. Pierre-Luc Dubois was traded by the Winnipeg Jets to the Los Angeles Kings. He was sent to the Kings in exchange for Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. That’s quite a haul… and he is quite a power forward added to a team that is trying to get further in the postseason. This past season they got eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round in six games. They could have really used a player like Dubois in that series.

Pierre-Luc Dubois is Going to Hollywood

It seems that the Kings really wanted Dubois when you look at the return given to the Jets. Vilardi is an up-and-coming forward who was the 11th overall selection in the 2017 NHL draft. He really came into his own this season gathering 23 goals and 18 assists in 63 games. He’s a strong possession player and had an excellent 18.9 percent shooting accuracy last season. He looks to add to the forward line in Winnipeg. Iafallo, 29 had 14 goals, and 22 assists in 59 games and had some injuries. He has 204 points in 420 games, all with the Kings. What may have been a bit of a surprise was the addition of Kupari to the trade. He only has 15 points in 66 games, and the Jets may see what he can do. He may need more development time.

Adding in the 2024 second-round pick could be viewed as overkill, but don’t forget Dubois is a premium player who was sought by numerous teams. He will certainly add to the forward line for the Kings.

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What This Means Going Forward

As in most trades, this trade should help both teams. The Kings wanted another star forward to take over after Anze Kopitar hangs it. Dubois signed an eight-year $68 million contract with the Jets and was then traded to the Kings. He should be around for a while and many see him as the player who can get the Kings past the first round of the playoffs. For the Jets, they are still looking to move Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, and who knows who else. They will be in disarray for a bit, but with the addition of three players and a draft pick, they can feel pretty good about this deal.