Is it the end for Dubois' in Los Angeles?

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Carl Vaillancourt
April 12, 2024 (4:10 PM)

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The head coach of the Los Angeles Kings doesn't seem to be very pleased with the performance of his hometown player. Pierre-Luc Dubois has been demoted to the fourth line of the team ahead of the last match against the Calgary Flames.

The Kings committed to an eight-year deal with the forward before the start of the season. During this agreement, the Quebecois player will earn the handsome sum of $68 million or $8.5 million per year until 2031.

While the salary is high, the assets exchanged to acquire him have been equally significant.

With Phillip Danault returning to the lineup, it's over for Dubois on the top three lines there.

"Pierre-Luc Dubois sent to the fourth line tonight for the Kings... Again..." - NHL News

See the lineup.

Byfield - Kopitar - Kempe

Moore - Danault - Arvidsson

Fiala - Lizotte - Lewis

Laferrière - Dubois - Thomas

Anderson - Doughty

Gavrikov - Roy

Englund - Spence

Talbot

Rittich

The third overall pick in the 2016 NHL amateur draft recorded 39 points, including 15 goals, in 79 regular-season games.

He is far from his offensive productions in the two previous seasons, where he reached 60 and 63 points respectively.

On June 27th 2023, Los Angeles Kings' general manager Rob Blake sacrificed Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round pick in 2024 for the forward of Winnipeg Jets.

Despite his injury, Gabriel Vilardi has been an important element for the Winnipeg Jets. The former first-round pick of the Kings in 2017 scored 20 goals and collected 34 points in 44 games. Alex Iafallo beat opposing goalkeepers 11 times and assisted on 15 goals in 79 games.

Rasmus Kupari has yet to win a spot with the Winnipeg team. With a haul of 104 points in 79 games, the Winnipeg Jets ranks seventh in the NHL standings before the games scheduled Friday night. It just shows that Kevin Cheveldayoff had a lucky hand in the trade.

A story to follow...