The Los Angeles Kings announced today that they’ve traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals, in exchange for Darcy Kuemper.
The deal comes after a really disappointing first season for Dubois in Los Angeles, where he managed just 16 goals and 40 points in 82 games. The forward was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last summer, as part of a major deal which sent Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round pick the other way. Dubois still has seven more years remaining on his contract, at an $8.5 million cap hit.
Kuemper, on the other hand, is 34 years old and posted a .890 save percentage across 33 games with the team. While the netminder had his own struggles this season, he’s just two years removed from a Stanley Cup win with the Colorado Avalanche. Kuemper has three years remaining on his contract, at a $5.25M cap hit.
Obviously, the key for the Kings is that they get out from under the Dubois contract. With his deal running until 2031 at such a high cap hit, the team really couldn’t afford to wait much longer on a trade, with a no-movement clause kicking in on July 1.
I already spoke of the benefits/downsides with a possible buyout for Dubois, with a lot of the same points applicable to trading Dubois instead:
- ARTICLE: Are the Kings making a mistake by not buying out Pierre-Luc Dubois?
At the same time, it also eliminates the possibility of Dubois bouncing back to be a contributing member of the lineup. With the forward only just about to turn 26 years old, there’s a very good chance we do see Dubois return to form, and the Kings sunk major trade assets into the deal to acquire him just one year ago. While Kuemper gives us a clear idea of what the Kings’ goaltending situation will look like next year (alongside David Rittich), he’s not going to be a long-term solution.
Ultimately, this is a deal where the Kings minimize both risk and reward. They won’t see the possible benefits of betting on Dubois bouncing back to be a high-end forward, but also now won’t assume any of the risk of his contract in the case he doesn’t return to form. The Kings get back a shorter, cheaper deal with Kuemper, which gives shape to the team’s goaltending situation.
OTHER OFFSEASON ARTICLES
- Season Recap: Kings fail to take a step forward
- Are the Kings making a mistake by not buying out Pierre-Luc Dubois?
- Should the Kings re-sign Matt Roy?
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