The Revival of Powerforward Pierre-Luc Dubois, and how the LA Kings Failed Terribly

[Ridley Simon]

Is their coach not new? Literally was a coach with the leafs last year.

You are a year off bud. No, Caps made the playoffs last year w Carbery as their coach.

Not a new coach bump, like at all.

A “new roster” bump? Then sure. But Carbs is 130 games in with this team, after being their AHL coach for a handful of years (before he went to TO for I believe 2 seasons).

 

[Royale With Cheese]

To be fair to PLD, I can see why he struggled to play well for the other teams. Columbus had torts, Winnipeg is cold/depressing, LA's team style is boring. Whereas Washington has Ovi, it's exciting, there's an energy around them. Kinda like Laine in Montreal. He struggled in 2 of the same teams as PLD, and now he's playing for an exciting team in a building full of passionate fans. The change in environment has really helped these guys.

Maybe it won't last, but it's been a nice resurgence for PLD.

Nonsense.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

L.A got fleeced on both trades lol

 

[McShogun99]

To be fair to PLD, I can see why he struggled to play well for the other teams. Columbus had torts, Winnipeg is cold/depressing, LA's team style is boring. Whereas Washington has Ovi, it's exciting, there's an energy around them. Kinda like Laine in Montreal. He struggled in 2 of the same teams as PLD, and now he's playing for an exciting team in a building full of passionate fans. The change in environment has really helped these guys.

Maybe it won't last, but it's been a nice resurgence for PLD.

I also wonder if it's because he has less pressure in Washington. At the start of the season everyone was writing the Caps off with the teams main goal being to get Ovi the record. He essentially came to the team as a cap dump so there wasn't much expectations on him.

 

[Kuz]

The following season after he left though the team was better without him points wise and that is what it showed. It was talking about how his history showed that teams he played on would soon get better once he left. In this case it was 2 seasons after

The same thing happened in Winnipeg and now Colombus. Teams are better without him

Lak is on pace for two points more right now. Columbus definetely havent been better. Havent made the playoff since he left while they made it every year with PLD. He also took a QMJHL team to the finals. Winnipeg did better pointwise, but there are also more factors to a team than a single player.

 

[Omni Owl]

L.A got fleeced on both trades lol

Pretty much. Blake had no f***ing idea how much Vilardi or Faber were worth. He's easily one of the worst, if not the worst GM's in the league. Its also a huge red flag seeing previous LA players go elsewhere and notably improve.

 

[Praetorian Caps]

Are you suggesting that LA isn't exciting and doesn't have passionate fans?

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When you're use to calling games just watching might feel like a stepdown.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Blake is bordering on Milbury territory right now and the whole PLD situation/trade tree is just a symptom.

 

[Chet Manley]

Meh. If something like this version of Dubois would have showed up for LA than there would be nothing to discuss about either trade. Him totally wetting the bed last year isn't on the Kings. They gave him plenty of opportunity and an easy path to earn the 1c and he blew it so hard.

 

[FrozenKing18]

The only failure was signing him to that lengthy contract. I was onboard for the trade, just disagreed with the term. To those who actually watched PLD last season know that this dude played like he didn’t give a shit. He floated around most nights. No hustle, no energy, no heart. Didn't even celebrate whenever he scored. Just wasn’t a fit I guess. He’s doing well now so good for him.

 

[tiburon12]

Here's a question - Is Kopitar's lack of significant decline a factor for PLD not working out AND Byfield not taking the next step?

 

[Connor McConnor]

No way OP made a main boards thread about PL freaking D lmao. There are literally 50 non superstar players in the NHL this year that deserve recognition over this bum

 

[Faterson]

She'd probably be a good fit on the Sharks second D pairing.

Talk about tombstones instead of traffic cones.

 

[kevsh]

Lak is on pace for two points more right now.

In fairness, their #1 D-man has missed almost the entire season.

In any case, it is hard to accurately gauge how much better/worse a team is with a player when there are so many contributing factors. Perhaps the best metric would be one we'll never get access to: Ask his former & current teammates their honest assessment of him.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Holy misinformation...

Trading PLD to Washington is arguably the best move the Kings have made under Blake.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

He'll be back to his usual playing like shit and floating in the playoffs and next 6 seasons or until he gets bought out.

 

[Misery74]

He'll be back to his usual playing like shit and floating in the playoffs and next 6 seasons or until he gets bought out.

Great assessment. He is playing great, under a great young coach.

Perhaps just what he needs. Also, you have no f***ing clue what the future holds.

 

[Melkor]

Easily the Caps' best skater this season. Only Protas might have a case to compete for that title. The most consistent effort and quality of play from game 1. Also constantly uses his body to protect the puck so all this ridiculing about his power nature is a bunch of bullshit.

He just didn't want to play for your team and that's it. That's what it was all about. He liked LA the city, not the team, hated Torts guts and Peg's weather. He's where he belongs.

 

[golgoXIII]

LA organisation his a joke they scrap almost every single top prospect and young players they have

 

[TheFinalWord]

Lak is on pace for two points more right now. Columbus definetely havent been better. Havent made the playoff since he left while they made it every year with PLD. He also took a QMJHL team to the finals. Winnipeg did better pointwise, but there are also more factors to a team than a single player.

I love this. Make it seem like PLD leaving was the only reason, but in Winnipeg, it's never just about a single player. Seems right.

Great assessment. He is playing great, under a great young coach.

Perhaps just what he needs. Also, you have no f***ing clue what the future holds.

I think people have a clue about what the future holds when they have the past to look back on. For sure, he's not guaranteed to go back to a lazy, uninterested player, but he's shown that multiple times in the past, so it would seem more likely that he would go back to those ways than not. But of course, he could keep getting better as well. We don't know...but we can reasonably speculate.

 

[Dumais]

I love this. Make it seem like PLD leaving was the only reason, but in Winnipeg, it's never just about a single player. Seems right.

I think people have a clue about what the future holds when they have the past to look back on. For sure, he's not guaranteed to go back to a lazy, uninterested player, but he's shown that multiple times in the past, so it would seem more likely that he would go back to those ways than not. But of course, he could keep getting better as well. We don't know...but we can reasonably speculate.

I think your right, but as people and players approach their mid 20s, they are different from their teenage selves. People mature and players hit their prime years. He will either wise up or grow even more extreme in his professional life.