Confirmed Trade: [LAK/WPG] Pierre-Luc Dubois (signs 8 years, $8.5M AAV) for Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, 2024 2nd round pick

[SeanMoneyHands]

Agreed. Buddy must be smoking rock to think he’ll hit 90 points. He has ham hands. He’s a bit younger Bo Horvat.

Pierre hasn't even produced a 70 pts season and people are expecting 90 pts from him?

 

[Eagle Fang]

All i know is i hated the trade and giving up Vilardi, but PLD looks pretty damn good so far.

 

[tbcwpg]

then Winnipeg needs a new ownership group!

I don't think people realize how long a Winnipeg rebuild would take. Like Buffalo levels of length.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

I don't think people realize how long a Winnipeg rebuild would take. Like Buffalo levels of length.

unfortunately thats part of the business to succeed in the NHL!

my Devils made the finals (flukey) in 2012 then lost Kovalchuk and Parise and STILL had the oldest roster in hockey! Jagr was our leading scorer!!

we only made the playoffs last year minus the flukey 17-18 run; so thats practically a decade!

Winnipeg's rebuild wouldnt take nearly as long idt because NJ had nothing to trade for draft picks at the start; Winnipeg has 4-5 1sts alone in Scheifele Hellebyuck and Morrissey!

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I don't think people realize how long a Winnipeg rebuild would take. Like Buffalo levels of length.

Nothing should ever take that long but the NHL has a massive problem in that it takes way too long to get good in the NHL unless you get insanely lucky with a generational pick and/or late picks in ways that player movement or program can't compensate. It's really hard for people to stay invested. Like, if your GM just f***s up a couple of moves/picks, you can easily be looking at 7+ years before you're out of the abyss. That's an eternity. It's ridiculous and it's not fun unless you're a tank fetishizer.

You don't have that issue in the NFL/NBA. Not sure about baseball.

 

[tbcwpg]

unfortunately thats part of the business to succeed in the NHL!

my Devils made the finals (flukey) in 2012 then lost Kovalchuk and Parise and STILL had the oldest roster in hockey! Jagr was our leading scorer!!

we only made the playoffs last year minus the flukey 17-18 run; so thats practically a decade!

Winnipeg's rebuild wouldnt take nearly as long idt because NJ had nothing to trade for draft picks at the start; Winnipeg has 4-5 1sts alone in Scheifele Hellebyuck and Morrissey!

NJ also has the ability to attract players like Hamilton that Winnipeg does not. Rebuilds eventually happen, sure, but they aren't equal for every market. Rebuilds work best when you can fill holes that your draft picks can't fill and Winnipeg has a much harder time than most to do that.

Plus 1sts are just draft picks, they aren't players. The league has a lot of 1st rounders that struggle to stick in their team's lineups.

I think if there were multiple 1sts for Hellebuyck and Scheifele out there, they would've been moved in the summer.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

NJ also has the ability to attract players like Hamilton that Winnipeg does not. Rebuilds eventually happen, sure, but they aren't equal for every market. Rebuilds work best when you can fill holes that your draft picks can't fill and Winnipeg has a much harder time than most to do that.

Plus 1sts are just draft picks, they aren't players. The league has a lot of 1st rounders that struggle to stick in their team's lineups.

I think if there were multiple 1sts for Hellebuyck and Scheifele out there, they would've been moved in the summer.

well for one i think Winnipeg drafts quite well!

two i do think there were 1sts out for them!.. but Winnipegs ownership isnt willing to do whats necessary idt

three Dougie only chose NJ becausw he was a perfect fit team-wise!.. though i do get how Central Jersey is more appealing than the colder Winnipeg

NJ is rarely a free agents choice!! at least for now!

 

[Oneiro]

Chevy is a good trader who gets the right value generally. I think he got burned by the current environment. The flat cap has made situations like WPG and their core guys a bit tougher to trade out of. Hellebucyk deserves the deal he got, but it’s just hard to find a team that could absorb that AND trade for him at the right window in their timeline.

The rebuild has to start and the fans know it. But he signed those contracts and you’re going to need a major rise in the cap. Luckily I think 7M will be movable in a new cap context where it rises quickly but I’m not sure as valuable return wise as everyone was 2 years ago when he should’ve acted faster.

 

[Choralone]

The play Vilardi got hurt on was from a bad hit anyone would have been injured on.

Vilardi's primary issue years ago involved his back. He seems over it. If back issues spring up again, then we have a clear problem. Otherwise "injury prone" isn't really a useful predictor of future injuries - it's just an acknowledgement of bad luck to date involving a series of unrelated injuries in a sport rife with them.

 

[Telos]

Well, PLD isn't likely to hit 90 points, but his winger Kevin Fiala might. So far he has fit in quite well. The biggest asset being that he can just bulldoze and will his way past defenders and make something happen on net at any moment. That is something the Kings haven't had in a long time, maybe since Jason Allison. I think he is going to fit in well for quite a while and he only just turned 25.

As for Vilardi, I will say that the injury he received was kind of a fluke BS injury that would have happened to anyone in his position. Overall, the Kings were hoping he'd turn into a producer like PLD but with more skill as he has silky mitts but doesn't use his similar size the same way. He has all the tools to do it and knows how to use them. He is mostly beyond the chronic things he had in the past, but he does have and warrant a little bit the injury-prone moniker. In the end though, he should have a successful and productive career as when he is on the ice there is no mistake that he belongs as a top 6 forward. Hoping he stays healthy enough to realize and become the player he is meant to be.

 

[Andreas Ferrari]

I've been informed that he no longer wants to be referred to as PL Dubois.

Say hello to Paul Douchebag.

IFTFY

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

IFTFY

Pierre Luc DoucheBag is gonna be a nice mentor for Quittin Bustfield

 

[Buffdog]

I've been informed that he no longer wants to be referred to as PL Dubois.

Say hello to Paul Dubois.

The longer he live in LA, the more anglophone his name will get

Soon he'll be "Petey Luke"

 

[Choralone]

The longer he live in LA, the more anglophone his name will get

Soon he'll be "Petey Luke"

Excuse me, but his name here will be Pedro Lucas.

 

[Kingfan1967]

The PLD trade was a "Win Now" type of trade.
PLD also allowed LA to solidify their center depth, they now have 4 complete lines, this is one of those "intangibles" people always talk about.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

I still think this was a very good trade for both teams, which side is complaining now?

 

[OG Eberle]

People wanting Chevy canned for the sake of change is beyond shortsighted.

He's kept Winnipeg competitive and deep since he came on despite NUMEROUS shit hands being dealt (i.e. Kane situation, Buff retirement, Wheeler/Scheif drama last few seasons, Helly contract drama last season, PLD, Laine issues) on top of doing it in probably the hardest market to succeed and attract players in Winnipeg.

I think trading guys for good hauls is Chevy's MO with some decent drafting as well. He's done a good job giving out contracts that haven't hamstrung the franchise and shipping players who don't want to be there for fair-to-great returns.

A full Chicago/Edmonton/Buffalo style rebuild wouldn't make sense unless like others alluded to, he was getting multiple firsts for Helly/Scheifs in a deal. Can't wait several years to stock up the cupboards one first at a time. Just have to be smart with trades and drafting like he has been and have a turnover slowly and organically for Winnipeg to stay fresh in this market.

Grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.

 

[Osprey]

The play Vilardi got hurt on was from a bad hit anyone would have been injured on.

Vilardi's primary issue years ago involved his back. He seems over it. If back issues spring up again, then we have a clear problem. Otherwise "injury prone" isn't really a useful predictor of future injuries - it's just an acknowledgement of bad luck to date involving a series of unrelated injuries in a sport rife with them.

I think that it's more than "bad luck." I think that some players just know how to protect themselves from injury better than others by either not putting themselves into awkward positions or being stronger on their skates. Kopitar is a player who's been remarkably injury free throughout his 17-year career because he plays very safe, has great balance and doesn't go down easily to sell calls. I'm sure that he takes his share of "bad hits," as well, but he shrugs them off. You rarely see him off of his feet and down on the ice. Maybe it's his IQ, his principles, his play style or a commitment to strengthening his legs in the gym. I'm not sure, but I can't believe that he's just "lucky" and other players are unlucky. I think that players like Vilardi and Byfield could learn to be more resilient.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

The longer he live in LA, the more anglophone his name will get

Soon he'll be "Petey Luke"

P Liddy

 

[Whileee]

Just dropping in to note how great Iafallo and Kupari have been. Iafallo contributes in all situations.

Kupari is becoming a force. His speed and sized are impressive, and he's showing a lot of good puck skills and hockey sense.

 

[kylbaz]

All i know is i hated the trade and giving up Vilardi, but PLD looks pretty damn good so far.

Probably one of the most frustrating players in hockey. Shows up for one or two, disappears for five, as you've seen. He'll have a good game soon and give you hope, and he'll do it all again. I get the impression he just doesn't care about hockey that much.

 

[ole ole]

I still think this was a very good trade for both teams, which side is complaining now?

All i can say is thank God the Habs dodge that bullet.

 

[tkb81]

Probably one of the most frustrating players in hockey. Shows up for one or two, disappears for five, as you've seen. He'll have a good game soon and give you hope, and he'll do it all again. I get the impression he just doesn't care about hockey that much.

maybe he just didnt care about winnipeg that much ... haha jk ... so far i am loving PLD ... makes our line up pretty darn deep .. very small sample size but we are leading the league in offense .. and having PLD and his size in front of the net is helping ...

 

[KingPuckChoo]

All i can say is thank God the Habs dodge that bullet.

truth, because with Price, Anderson, Gallagher, and Dvorak, there's only a certain amount of bullets a man can take

 

[Junohockeyfan]

truth, because with Price, Anderson, Gallagher, and Dvorak, there's only a certain amount of bullets a man can take

Those 4 helped carry the Habs to the cup final. Something PLD will never experience due to his selfish and toxic character.

Habs indeed dodged a bullet. Dodged a grenade!

I hate to admit it but the Jets absolutely fleeced LA.