Speculation: Pierre-Luc Dubois Mega thread. (LAK frontrunner, but Montreal has circled back)

[Atoyot]

With Helle, LA would be the favorite from the West next year IMO.

They've drafted really well, their window barely closed and then suddenly they were contenders again. I agree Helle would put them in the favorites category.

 

[deaderhead28]

At this point in their careers, yes, but PLD is not the player we need to grab immediately and go win a cup with. Hellebuyck is that player. We have the cap and we have the spot open and sitting there. Helle is absolutely the guy we should be acquiring here and PLD is not.

Kings aren't a contender with Helle alone, they need to fix their center depth with PLD. Giving away depth to make a trade will hurt the Kings unfortunately.

 

[Atoyot]

Kings aren't a contender with Helle alone, they need to fix their center depth with PLD. Giving away depth to make a trade will hurt the Kings unfortunately.

If the Jets are a playoff team with Helle, Kings are a contender. Hellebuyck is the only reason the Jets have been relevant for years. Hugely to the detriment of the Jets mind you, as our GM assumed there was more there than there actually was.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I hope it’s Helle. Kings will be a force to be reckoned with if they have an actual goaltender.

You aren't wrong but I'm hoping the Devils can snag him as a rental like the Avs did with Kuemper but I think Helly is extending asap with his new team and I'm not willing to extend to him at his age.

 

[jetsforever]

Dubois would be fine but hope it's not Helle

 

[Frank Drebin]

Oilers beat last year's Kings with Helle or korpi.

If the Jets are a playoff team with Helle, Kings are a contender. Hellebuyck is the only reason the Jets have been relevant for years. Hugely to the detriment of the Jets mind you, as our GM assumed there was more there than there actually was.

Jets were fantastic on paper, still can't figure out why they weren't more successful

 

[AirGut]

Helle? Why not shoot for the moon and pay up for Hart?

 

[le_sean]

You aren't wrong but I'm hoping the Devils can snag him as a rental like the Avs did with Kuemper but I think Helly is extending asap with his new team and I'm not willing to extend to him at his age.

Devils are probably better off waiting to get a bargain that can maybe explode in a year or two when guys like Luke Hughes and Nemec are ready to be top defenders.

 

[HellebuyckOurSaviour]

I'm hoping cause it's the Jets who want Carter Hart once Helle is traded. I want to finally see some big Winnipeg trades.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Devils are probably better off waiting to get a bargain that can maybe explode in a year or two when guys like Luke Hughes and Nemec are ready to be top defenders.

Well the idea of getting Helly next year would be the idea to have an elite goalie in front of 3 young defenders who will become regulars next year (Nemec, Bahl, Luke Hughes) who will also have growing pains. The thing with their defensive core in 22-23 is that they had a ton of veterans covering a guy like Vanecek. So maybe you do the opposite going into 23-24. They'll be a possible step back but two steps forward in the future with those guys playing on the backend if that makes sense.

 

[Kimota]

Yeah, no.

There was an entire squad of angryphones relentlessly pushing the false narrative that Dabault was a product of Gallagher.

I mean, sure, the most knowledgeable fans knew Danault's worth. But I'm not even sure it was a majority of this board.

As for Dubois, it's a completely different situation with very different intangibles. I've got nothing against the player, but he is a 7.7M center at best. Not someone you commit long term for 8M+.

The truth lies in between. Habs fans thought Danault was a good player but not particularly productive and not enough to give him the moon. And it seems like Bergevin had the same opinion. And it was a case where the Habs didn't have great center depth and so Danault had to play a role that maybe he wasn't offensive enough to play. It's the old Habs curse of guys at center not being in the right chair. It happened with so many guys Koivu, Plekanec, etc...As far as Danault himself, he mentioned he didn't want to be in the shadow of the young guys KK and Suzuky. Both Danault and KK were pissed and left whereas if they knew that the other did, they maybe would not cause they would have had more icetime with the other leaving, basically.

 

[kilowatt]

Hellebuyck to Los Angeles just makes too much sense. With Durzi out, LA is actually in pretty good shape on defense. I wonder if something like LA's first next year and Alex Turcotte for Hellebuyck at 50% retention gets it done?

Kempe - Kopitar - Kaliyev
Fiala - Byfield - Vilardi
Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Iafallo - Lizotte - Grundstrom
Kupari, JAD

Anderson - Doughty
Gavrikov - Clarke
Bjornfot - Roy
Spence

Hellebuyck
Copley

It's pretty close cap-wise, depending on whether Vilardi takes a bridge deal or not (similar to what Kempe took, maybe 2 years at $3.5 million). If he wanted to sign long term at a lower cap hit to guarantee money (given his injury history), I'd be fine with that too, but we'd probably need to move Iafallo, Moore, or Arvidsson.

 

[deaderhead28]

Hellebuyck to Los Angeles just makes too much sense. With Durzi out, LA is actually in pretty good shape on defense. I wonder if something like LA's first next year and Alex Turcotte for Hellebuyck at 50% retention gets it done?

Kempe - Kopitar - Kaliyev
Fiala - Byfield - Vilardi
Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Iafallo - Lizotte - Grundstrom
Kupari, JAD

Anderson - Doughty
Gavrikov - Clarke
Bjornfot - Roy
Spence

Hellebuyck
Copley

It's pretty close cap-wise, depending on whether Vilardi takes a bridge deal or not (similar to what Kempe took, maybe 2 years at $3.5 million). If he wanted to sign long term at a lower cap hit to guarantee money (given his injury history), I'd be fine with that too, but we'd probably need to move Iafallo, Moore, or Arvidsson.

Byfield isn't getting it done at 2nd line center for the Kings to be a contender. Kings have a few holes on this team at center, goalie and needs some sandpaper bottom 6 fwds who can score.

 

[Hodge]

I'm baffled by Kings fans who refuse to trade Vilardi for PLD.

Byfield-Kopitar-Kempe
Fiala-Dubois-Kaliyev
Moore-Danault-Kupari

You're telling me that isn't instantly one of the best top nine forward groups in the league and easily the best the Kings have iced since the Cup years? The ability to use Danault and Moore as a pure shutdown unit that frees up Fiala and Dubois to feast on weaker opposing lines is a huge advantage. And all you have to give up is Vilardi who sucked until this year plus Iafallo and Arvidsson to make the cap work. Maybe a pick too, but who cares.

 

[deaderhead28]

I'm baffled by Kings fans who refuse to trade Vilardi for PLD.

Byfield-Kopitar-Kempe
Fiala-Dubois-Kaliyev
Moore-Danault-Kupari

You're telling me that isn't instantly one of the best top nine forward groups in the league and easily the best the Kings have iced since the Cup years? The ability to use Danault and Moore as a pure shutdown unit that frees up Fiala and Dubois to feast on weaker opposing lines is a huge advantage. And all you have to give up is Vilardi who sucked until this year plus Iafallo and Arvidsson to make the cap work. Maybe a pick too, but who cares.

You don't trade Vilardi for PLD it doesn't make sense depth wise. You trade a Iafallo or maybe Arvi but not Villardi. Vilardi can play center or wing. Teams need depth to go far in the playoffs, you don't trade a Vilardi.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

I don’t think it’s PLD. You never hear the rumors prior to actual Kings trades. Plus, the cost/cap cost doesn’t easily work.

I think people will be surprised

 

[Hodge]

You don't trade Vilardi for PLD it doesn't make sense depth wise. You trade a Iafallo or maybe Arvi but not Villardi. Vilardi can play center or wing. Teams need depth to go far in the playoffs, you don't trade a Vilardi.

Do you see the lines in my post? That is one of the deepest forward groups in the league. Honestly don't think it's that far off from the group Vegas just won with. Danault/Moore = Karlsson/Smith, Dubois/Fiala = slightly lesser version of Eichel/Marchessault, Kopitar = Stone at center, Kempe = Stephenson and then Byfield, Kaliyev and Kupari have a much higher ceiling than Barbashev, Howden and Amadio.

Also Dubois is only a year older than Vilardi. You're opening up a 5-year window with Dubois, Fiala, Kempe, Byfield, Clarke, Kaliyev all in or entering their prime. It would be so stupid for the Kings not to do this unless the Jets are demanding Byfield or Clarke.

 

[deaderhead28]

Do you see the lines in my post? That is one of the deepest forward groups in the league. Honestly don't think it's that far off from the group Vegas just won with. Danault/Moore = Karlsson/Smith, Dubois/Fiala = slightly lesser version of Eichel/Marchessault, Kopitar = Stone at center, Kempe = Stephenson and then Byfield, Kaliyev and Kupari have a much higher ceiling than Barbashev, Howden and Amadio.

Also Dubois is only a year older than Vilardi. You're opening up a 5-year window with Dubois, Fiala, Kempe, Byfield, Clarke, Kaliyev all in or entering their prime. It would be so stupid for the Kings not to do this unless the Jets are demanding Byfield or Clarke.

I am not high on Byfield and would trade him over Vilardi cause I don't think Byfield will ever be a 1st line center on a contender.

 

[Hodge]

I am not high on Byfield and would trade him over Vilardi cause I don't think Byfield will ever be a 1st line center on a contender.

Vilardi is even less likely to do that. Dubois, on the other hand, is already good enough to be a 1st line center on a contender and he will likely continue to improve.

 

[Galaxydoggystyle]

Oilers beat last year's Kings with Helle or korpi.

Jets were fantastic on paper, still can't figure out why they weren't more successful

We have been hearing for years that the locker room was cancerous since before Laine even got traded. If they could have just sorted out or got rid of the cancerous players before all the details broke they would have contended for sure.

Vilardi is even less likely to do that. Dubois, on the other hand, is already good enough to be a 1st line center on a contender and he will likely continue to improve.

PLD has shown nothing to say he is a 1C he is a good 2C until proven other wise.

 

[Hodge]

PLD has shown nothing to say he is a 1C he is a good 2C until proven other wise.

PLD is getting seriously underrated, probably because he's alienated every fanbase he's played for so there's nobody around to defend him. His production last season was in line with many 1Cs on contenders including Aho, Kopitar and Barzal. He's big, plays on the inside, has a solid playoff resume already and he just turned 25 yesterday so if you acquire him and sign him to a max term deal now you're almost exclusively buying prime aged seasons.

 

[deaderhead28]

Do I believe Kings are trading for PLD no. I think they'll trade a forward this summer so they don't lose one of Kupari, JAD or Fagemo to waivers. I think Blake's goal is to sign his own and make room for a goaltender.

 

[kings11]

I don’t think it’s PLD. You never hear the rumors prior to actual Kings trades. Plus, the cost/cap cost doesn’t easily work.

I think people will be surprised

Agree, it’s going to be something completely different.. the rumors say Blake is in on multiple players..

 

[Kurrilino]

I'm baffled by Kings fans who refuse to trade Vilardi for PLD.

Byfield-Kopitar-Kempe
Fiala-Dubois-Kaliyev
Moore-Danault-Kupari

You're telling me that isn't instantly one of the best top nine forward groups in the league and easily the best the Kings have iced since the Cup years.

????
Byfield is not a winger, Dubois is the opposite of what Fiala and Kaliev needs and Danauld's line is defensive only which puts Kupari who is also a playmaking center into the wrong position and line.
Also Kopitar and PLD are can't get the job of #1 and #2 center done.

This is a horrible lineup.

 

[Hodge]

????
Byfield is not a winger, Dubois is the opposite of what Fiala and Kaliev needs and Danauld's line is defensive only which puts Kupari who is also a playmaking center into the wrong position and line.
Also Kopitar and PLD are can't get the job of #1 and #2 center done.

This is a horrible lineup.

Byfield played the majority of last season on Kopitar's wing. Whatever, make Kupari the 4C and put someone else on Danault's line. How is Kopitar-PLD-Danault worse than Eichel-Stephenson-Karlsson?

Unless the Kings are holding out for Matthews, Draisaitl or McDavid to sign with them in free agency, which is a massive risk on so many levels, they should trade for PLD to compensate for the mistake of failing to trade for Eichel.