Post-Game Talk: ITS OVER- Did we make a huge mistake on Pierre-Luc Dubois Thread?

[Habs Halifax]

Cool, thank you

It likely started when he asked to be traded out of Columbus and wanted to be traded to the Habs but he had no control over that. No doubt in my mind that we tried to trade for him then but Jets offered Laine/Ros and we couldn't touch that offer. Jets interfered thinking they could convince him to stay.

Fast forward to last off season and a member of the Jets media reported Dubois wants to play for the Habs someday and is telling members of the organization this. This report was ridiculed by fans (especially Jets fans) but then the context kept coming.... A few weeks later (a week or so after the draft), Dubois agent told our media he is indeed very interested in playing for the Habs.

 

[Habs Halifax]

In an article on TvaSpanrrrre website, Pat Brisson said that he felt comfortable acknowledging that his client would like to play for the Habs because he wasn’t under contract at that time. Hughes probably felt the same at the time.

My guess would be that; the league probably doesn’t like agents and GM’s speculating openly about players that are under team control even the though a contract isn’t signed. I’m guessing that a memo was sent following these two matchmakers openly discussing their prize fighter.

Why would the League not like it? RFA rules allow GM's to talk to the agents. Not like we would have offer sheeted him but we could have. Brisson knows what he is doing and there was nothing he did that was against the rules.

RFA only means the rights are restricted. If there is no contract in place, the Agent can say and talk to whatever team he chooses to do so.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Why would the League not like it? RFA rules allow GM's to talk to the agents. Not like we would have offer sheeted him but we could have. Brisson knows what he is doing and there was nothing he did that was against the rules.

RFA only means the rights are restricted. If there is no contract in place, the Agent can say and talk to whatever team he chooses to do so.

Yup. The agent can say it. Another GM can't say it. Which is what Hughes said initially. And when he was asked another time several weeks later, he was more careful about how he could word his answer.

Agent: yes as he speaks for the client.
Other GM: no because even if he's a free agent, another team has control.

 

[Hannibal]

Man i really hope we are able to trade for him. What a player!!

 

[Guy Larose]

Reading the last couple of pages and people are finally waking up to what a good player he is? LMAO

 

[Benstheman]

People will call him anything to suit their narrative. The anti-PLD crowd has had some real beauties, one need only read through this thread.

Guy is a tank who turns it up when it matters, the kind of player that we (or Any other team in the league) would love to have. I hope we get him, he’ll be a difference maker.

Spot on my man. i love this. If he can be a 65-70 pts per season player and be a playoffs beast, we NEED to get him. Some people complain it's been way too long for us to ice a dominant Queber born player. Here you have it. Big, center, goal scoring player and built for the playoffs. LET'S GOOO!

 

[salbutera]

Keep in mind people Drouin was TBays playoff beast shortly before being dealt…. not comparing the two but…. need to manage expectations

 

[Guy Larose]

Keep in mind people Drouin was TBays playoff beast shortly before being dealt…. not comparing the two but…. need to manage expectations

Not even close to the same type of player or situation.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Spot on my man. i love this. If he can be a 65-70 pts per season player and be a playoffs beast, we NEED to get him. Some people complain it's been way too long for us to ice a dominant Queber born player. Here you have it. Big, center, goal scoring player and built for the playoffs. LET'S GOOO!

Similar to Suzuki. We know he turns it up in the playoffs. If he can also be a 60-70 point player, and Habs can have PLD as another 60-70 point player and they both turn it on in the playoffs, Habs will be in real good shape. Add a Caufield & Dach in that mix.

It would be similar to Bergeron-Krejci all these years in the sense that those two never put up 90-100 point seasons. They were anywhere between the 65-80 point range, but they turned it on in the playoffs. And Bruins had a cup and 2 cup finals with those two. And with those two again this year, they helped the Bruins break regular season records and are the favorites to win.

 

[Benstheman]

Keep in mind people Drouin was TBays playoff beast shortly before being dealt…. not comparing the two but…. need to manage expectations

Drouin is a very talented player. More than PLD i would say. He was playing with fire and on a stacked team in TBay. He just lost this fire for whatever reason people can speculate about. As far as PLD is concerned, he is just built for the playoffs. Stylistically and physically. He already did that kind of performances with Columbus against TBay and now is repeating it (i know it's just one game). i'd argue he is more incline to repeat those kind of perfomrances throughout his career then Drouin was.

 

[waitin425]

I think most if not all of us agree that PLD would be a great addition to the young core we are building. I will pray that we somehow get Bedard or Michkov in this draft. If not those two, then whoever has the potential to be a 30+ goal scoring winger (Benson?).

If these things happen, realistically I think we can expect the following;

Dach - Suzuki - Caufield = a 65 to 80 point centre, paired with a big bodied puck protector and 40 goal scorer

Slaf - PLD - Bedard/Michkov/Benson - a 65 to 80 point centre, paired with a big bodied puck protector and 40/30 goal scorer.

Who the hell would not want these two first lines? They would send other teams into fits!!

and for funsies.....imagine a 3rd line consisting of.....

RHP (20-25 goal threat) - Beck (elite faceoff man) - Anderson (Big body forechecker)

 

[le_sean]

Drouin is a very talented player. More than PLD i would say. He was playing with fire and on a stacked team in TBay. He just lost this fire for whatever reason people can speculate about. As far as PLD is concerned, he is just built for the playoffs. Stylistically and physically. He already did that kind of performances with Columbus against TBay and now is repeating it (i know it's just one game). i'd argue he is more incline to repeat those kind of perfomrances throughout his career then Drouin was.

Drouin’s performance was like Seguin when the Bruins won the Cup. Seguin came in and changed a series for the Bruins as a rookie. It was easier since he was on a deep team and there was zero pressure on him to perform. He’s been shit in the playoffs since.

 

[yianik]

I would like to have PLD on the team and we have to see about getting him. But there are people assuming he won't sign with the Jets or that we will get him for cheap.

For PLD, $9M to me is overpay, but what if the Jets offer that? He says no? What if they go $9.5M or $10M ? To me that is stupid money and PLD would be right not to expect that from Montreal, or any other team. So he should sign it unless money isn't everything to him.

Anyway, sh@t happens and if this guy really wants to come here the Habs should try to get him this post season and not wait to see if he becomes a UFA in 2024. And I don't mean get him at any price. This way PLD can tell the Jets no, and that he will only extend with the Habs and so everybody has talks and PLD can find out what the Habs will offer him, and then see about the pieces for a trade. Cuts down on the uncertainty, and PLD could circle back to the Jets if the Habs are light.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Keep in mind people Drouin was TBays playoff beast shortly before being dealt…. not comparing the two but…. need to manage expectations

I agree we should manage expectations but Dubois at age 24 as a physical center should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Drouin who was age 21 as a soft/skilled winger.

Expectations for Dubois should be around what kind of value Suzuki provides for us. Different styles but similar values as top 2C's. I think he fits very well with Suzuki as a 1/2 punch up the middle and adds muscle to our forward group. People will look at points but it's so much deeper than that.

 

[SwiftyHab]

PLD the playoff performer!

 

[sandviper]

It likely started when he asked to be traded out of Columbus and wanted to be traded to the Habs but he had no control over that. No doubt in my mind that we tried to trade for him then but Jets offered Laine/Ros and we couldn't touch that offer. Jets interfered thinking they could convince him to stay.

Fast forward to last off season and a member of the Jets media reported Dubois wants to play for the Habs someday and is telling members of the organization this. This report was ridiculed by fans (especially Jets fans) but then the context kept coming.... A few weeks later (a week or so after the draft), Dubois agent told our media he is indeed very interested in playing for the Habs.

Unless I misunderstood or missed a quote, I think what you said here is really the crux of it. I think the agent only said Montreal would be a place he'd like to play (or interested in playing) as opposed to wanting to play in Montreal, or will only play in Montreal.

I mean, I'm sure it's a dream to play for the Habs, but he'll go where he'll get the role he wants, on a team he wants and at the money he wants. I'd bet if he were asked if the Rangers is an interesting spot, he'd say yes also.

I also don't think I've read anywhere where PLD himself said he wants to play for the Habs. Now, showing up at the draft, little innuendos may pretty much confirm it, but the actual words I don't think have been spoken.

 

[Guy Larose]

I think most if not all of us agree that PLD would be a great addition to the young core we are building. I will pray that we somehow get Bedard or Michkov in this draft. If not those two, then whoever has the potential to be a 30+ goal scoring winger (Benson?).

If these things happen, realistically I think we can expect the following;

Dach - Suzuki - Caufield = a 65 to 80 point centre, paired with a big bodied puck protector and 40 goal scorer

Slaf - PLD - Bedard/Michkov/Benson - a 65 to 80 point centre, paired with a big bodied puck protector and 40/30 goal scorer.

Who the hell would not want these two first lines? They would send other teams into fits!!

and for funsies.....imagine a 3rd line consisting of.....

RHP (20-25 goal threat) - Beck (elite faceoff man) - Anderson (Big body forechecker)

No not all. There's a lot of vocal people that keep saying they don't want him, especially if we have to trade for him.

 

[Benstheman]

Drouin’s performance was like Seguin when the Bruins won the Cup. Seguin came in and changed a series for the Bruins as a rookie. It was easier since he was on a deep team and there was zero pressure on him to perform. He’s been shit in the playoffs since.

Yeah i didn't follow Seguin's career enough to agree with you but i will say this, something bad happened to Drouin and it's not just Montreal's pressure.

 

[Destopcorner]

No not all. There's a lot of vocal people that keep saying they don't want him, especially if we have to trade for him.

Can wait to see em eat crow before the end of playoffs. Yall know who you are.

 

[sampollock]

trade for him. if Kent can't as a ufa he will be pd more then habs will pay

 

[WeThreeKings]

Drouin is so much of a playoff performer that the team went to the cup final when he was gone from the team.

 

[Andrewcoursol]

Man i really hope we are able to trade for him. What a player!!

I would not trade for PLD this summer, i believe that a rebuilding team should accumulate good prospects, not trade them for a high cap hit player, also to be considered is what if the habs trade for PLD and he does not have a signed extension contract, he decides to leave after 1 season and the habs lose a couple of good prospects that the habs will need to fill other needs or use as trade chips in the next few seasons when the habs are able to contend again. wait 1 more season do the rebuild/retool right.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I would not trade for PLD this summer, i believe that a rebuilding team should accumulate good prospects, not trade them for a high cap hit player, also to be considered is what if the habs trade for PLD and he does not have a signed extension contract, he decides to leave after 1 season and the habs lose a couple of good prospects that the habs will need to fill other needs or use as trade chips in the next few seasons when the habs are able to contend again. wait 1 more season do the rebuild/retool right.

They won't trade for PLD without a pre-negotiated extension in place.

 

[OnTheRun]

I would not trade for PLD this summer, i believe that a rebuilding team should accumulate good prospects, not trade them for a high cap hit player, also to be considered is what if the habs trade for PLD and he does not have a signed extension contract, he decides to leave after 1 season and the habs lose a couple of good prospects that the habs will need to fill other needs or use as trade chips in the next few seasons when the habs are able to contend again. wait 1 more season do the rebuild/retool right.

There is 0% chance for this to happen. He will be an unsigned RFA at the time of the draft and any trade we do will be conditional to PLD accepting the offer we have on the table which is the norm for trade like this.

 

[waffledave]

I would not trade for PLD this summer, i believe that a rebuilding team should accumulate good prospects, not trade them for a high cap hit player, also to be considered is what if the habs trade for PLD and he does not have a signed extension contract, he decides to leave after 1 season and the habs lose a couple of good prospects that the habs will need to fill other needs or use as trade chips in the next few seasons when the habs are able to contend again. wait 1 more season do the rebuild/retool right.

How long should we continue to accumulate good prospects? Because at a certain point it won't make sense for us to keep Suzuki anymore. You can't just keep getting prospects without giving them mentors and high-end players they can learn from. The window we have now is going to be based off Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, Guhle. Maybe Slafkovsky. There are some guys who are still on the cusp of becoming core pieces like Barron, Harris, Xhekaj.

If we draft a Bedard type, you can include him too. Otherwise anyone we draft, or any prospects we are acquiring (unless they are ready to step into the NHL) are not going to be part of this current "rebuild" core. They'll be supporting pieces for the future.

So the question you need to ask yourself is whether you feel the current core group is enough to turn this team around. If they aren't, then you need to add to it (like a PLD type) or you move them out and try to build around Slaf + other prospects closer to his development curve.