Pierre-Luc Dubois was supposed to be the ultimate elite striker.
Drafted 4th overall in 2016, he was expected to become an offensive machine, an essential pillar of the National League. But today, the reality is quite different.
Pierre-Luc Dubois is moving away from this offensive impact role to become… a Philippe Danault 2.0.
And there, we are talking about a player who, at 68 million over 8 years, has a contract that is becoming more and more difficult to justify.
Remember that Philippe Danault is the archetype of the defensive player.
With 2 goals and 11 assists this season, he is doing what is expected of him: winning faceoffs, shutting down the best opposing attackers and making himself indispensable in tight moments.
There was never any question of Danault becoming an offensive dynamo, and no one blames him.
But Dubois? That’s another story.
We didn’t draft him 4th overall so he could simply become “useful”. He had to be an impact player, capable of carrying a team on his shoulders.
However, in Washington, Dubois is redefining himself.
With 3 goals and 14 assists in 26 games, he shows that he can contribute… but not in the way we had imagined.
His ice time hovers around 16 to 17 minutes, and we see him more often focused on his defensive responsibilities than on offensive exploits.
Yes, it does the job. Yes, he’s starting to simplify his game. But he’s far from the superstar we were hoping for.
In Los Angeles, where he signed his huge contract, we expected something else.
The Kings bet big on him, and he didn’t deliver. It was quickly realized that the marriage would not work, and Dubois found himself traded to Washington.
There, he finds a little stability, but at what cost? Because we have to say it, a defensive role is good, but at 8.5 million per season, it’s downright stupid.
The most frustrating thing about all of this is that we know that Dubois had the potential to be much more than Philippe Danault.
The latter, despite all his merit, has always been recognized as a defensive specialist, a niche player. Dubois had to be a star on both ends of the ice, an elite forward who also shines in his zone. Today, it is content to be reliable, nothing more.
It’s a great redemption, some will say, especially after the doubts that hovered over his place in the league in Los Angeles.
But let’s be honest: we are far, very far from what the Blue Jackets, the Jets, and even the Kings hoped for from him.
Pierre-Luc Dubois has become a responsible defensive player.
Good for the Capitals. But for the rest? This contract will continue to raise eyebrows.
Misery
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