Dubois traded to Capitals by Kings for Kuemper

Pierre-Luc Dubois was traded to the Washington Capitals by the Los Angeles Kings for goalie Darcy Kuemper on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old center had 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 82 regular-season games for the Kings this season and one goal in five Stanley Cup Playoff games. Los Angeles (44-27-11) was eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round.

Dubois was traded to the Kings by the Winnipeg 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.

“Well, I don’t think I did a good enough job of integrating him in the right roles on the team here this year,” Los Angeles general manager Rob Blake said. “You know, I think it wasn’t a great fit in that aspect for us, and we’ll take responsibility for that.”

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.

Kuemper was 13-14-3 with a 3.31 goals-against average, .890 save percentage and one shutout in 33 games (30 starts) for the Capitals this season. The 34-year-old was the backup to Charlie Lindgren when Washington (40-31-11) was swept in four straight games by the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference First Round.

This will be Kuemper's second stint with Los Angeles; he went 10-1-3 with a 2.10 GAA and .932 save percentage in 19 games (15 starts) during the 2017-18 season. He is expected to work in a tandem with David Rittich next season.

“I think the goaltender in return, obviously with Darcy, familiarity with him, our goalie department understanding him and having a relationship with him,” Blake said. “I think the duo with him and David can help stabilize that position here for a few years, which continues our growth with (Erik) Portillo in the American (Hockey) League. We saw some good things out of him this year, but we also project two, three years down the road, and so I think that helps solve an issue here for us.”

Selected by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round (No. 161) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Kuemper is 178-135-46 with a 2.61 GAA, .914 save percentage and 31 shutouts in 389 games (368 starts) with the Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Kings and Wild. He is 17-10 with a 2.72 GAA, .908 save percentage and two shutouts in 34 playoff games (30 starts).

Kuemper has three seasons remaining on a five-year, $26.25 million contract ($5.25 million AAV) he signed with Washington on July 13, 2022.

"We are thrilled to announce the addition of Pierre-Luc to the Caps organization," Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. "This acquisition brings in a talented 25-year-old with 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.

“We also thank Darcy for his valuable contributions to our organization on and off the ice and wish him the best in Los Angeles. After witnessing Charlie Lindgren's performance last season, we believe he deserves a chance to play a more significant role within our team."

NHL.com independent correspondent Dan Greenspan contributed to this report