Dubois 'couldn't be more excited' following trade to Capitals from Kings

Pierre-Luc Dubois said he went from surprised to excited when he learned he had been acquired by the Washington Capitals in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings for goalie Darcy Kuemper on June 19.

“They’re a team that growing up you were excited to watch on TV,” Dubois said during a Zoom call from Los Angeles on Wednesday. “Then when you grow up, you hear it’s a great organization with a great group there, so my emotions went from surprise and shock to just really excited.

"Once I talked to coaching staff, management, a few players, I couldn’t be more excited to get there.”

The center, who turned 26 on Monday, had 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 82 regular-season games this season and one goal in five Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Kings.

“I still feel very young,” Dubois said. “I still have a lot to learn in this league, and to be able to work with a new coaching staff will hopefully help me get to the next level. When you get to a new team there’s opportunities to learn about yourself, not only on the ice but off the ice, too.”

Washington, which averaged 2.63 goals per game this season (28th in the NHL), has been looking to add a top-six forward to its lineup. The Capitals hope they have found that in Dubois, who is two seasons removed from an NHL career-high 63 points (27 goals, 36 assists) in 73 games with the Winnipeg Jets.

On the day of the trade, Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said Dubois has "immense potential to become a top-tier center in the NHL. With his size, exceptional skating, and high hockey IQ, we are confident he will thrive in our organization with increased responsibility and opportunity."

Selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Dubois has 342 points (145 goals, 197 assists) in 516 games with the Kings, Jets and Blue Jackets, and 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 43 playoff games.

Dubois was acquired by the Kings in a trade with the Jets on June 27, 2023, and immediately signed an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) that runs through the 2030-31 season.

He now joins a Capitals team looking to get younger to remain in playoff contention. Captain Alex Ovechkin, 38, is 42 goals from passing Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most in NHL history.

“To be able to play with the best goal scorer of my generation and hopefully one day soon the best goal scorer in NHL history is pretty crazy to think of,” Dubois said when asked about possibly being on the ice if Ovechkin breaks the record. “To be able to assist in a moment like that, to be there, I’m sure would be something incredibly special, not only in my career but in my life too.”

Dubois roomed with Capitals center Dylan Strome while playing for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2017 and has watched Strome’s career evolve since he signed with Washington as a free agent on July 14, 2022. Strome set NHL career highs in goals and points in each of the past two seasons, finishing with 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) this season.

“I'm sure that we'll push each other, and he'll teach me what he's learned already," Dubois said. "We'll be able to have good conversations. His career, the way he's progressed, is really fun to see. It's exciting to see that. Hopefully, I can get there, too."