Four potential trade destinations for Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois

A restricted free agent known for his blend of offense and scrappy play who chosen early in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft informs his Canadian-market NHL club that he won’t be signing long term and wants to be traded.

Déjà vu, isn’t it? That was Matthew Tkachuk one year ago as his time with the Calgary Flames came to an end. Now, it’s Pierre Luc-Dubois forcing his way out of Winnipeg, having informed the Jets that he won’t sign an extension or even a one-year pact guiding him to unrestricted free agency next year.

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff isn’t exactly swimming in leverage, then. But that didn’t stop then-Flames GM Brad Treliving from getting a great return for Tkachuk a year ago. Like Tkachuk, Dubois bring a unique and coveted set of skills to the table. 

At a hulking 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds and averaging 24 goals and 57 points per 82 games after six NHL seasons, he possesses the size-sandpaper-scoring bundle that takes teams deep in the postseason if deployed in the right situation. We’ve seen that first hand with Tkachuk this spring during the Florida Panthers’ magical run to the Stanley Cup Final, and plenty of GMs will want to chase their version of Tkachuk. At 24, Dubois also offers the plenty of prime years over the course over a long-term deal.

So, leverage be damned, the Jets can expect a line around the corner for Dubois’ services. Which destinations make sense based on need, already-rumored interest and available assets? Keep in mind that the Jets, who are also likely to move Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler this offseason, reportedly covet reload-style hockey trades more than futures-heavy packages that would nudge them toward a rebuild path.

Carolina Hurricanes

Why he makes sense:

The Canes let Vincent Trocheck walk in 2022 free agency and spent the next year chasing the No. 2 center position unsuccessfully. Cheap signing Paul Stastny didn’t prove up to the task, while Jesperi Kotkaniemi had an inconsistent season in which he only showed No. 2 center chops in spurts. The Canes are squarely in their win-now window, with key cogs Sebastian Aho, Brett Pesce, Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Martinook, among others, entering the final seasons of their contracts. They’re a perennially successful regular-season outfit that consistently plays elite defense but desperately needs another star-caliber forward. Adding Dubois and, eventually, a healthy Andrei Svechnikov, would give the Canes a massive offensive facelift in 2023-24.

Fly in the ointment:

The Canes and GM Don Waddell have so much to figure out with their roster in the long-term. Aho needs an extension. Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis, both 2024 RFAs, are eligible to sign extensions July 1. The Canes only have one NHL goaltender signed for next season. They thus might be tempted to take a swing at Dubois to sign him just for this season at his qualifying-offer price of $6 million and worry about the rest next season. Doing so, however, would make him a risky acquisition. The Jets will have plenty of enticing offers for Dubois. It stands to reason Carolina would have to pony up a significant asset – if not Jarvis, perhaps Jack Drury and one of their best blueline prospects – to land Dubois. Is it worth doing so if you could end up losing him a year from now? He’s already forced his way off two NHL teams just six seasons into his career. He’s not known for digging roots in.

Colorado Avalanche

Why he makes sense:

The Avs, like the Hurricanes, lost their No. 2 center a year ago in free agency. They actually did get strong play from replacement J.T. Compher, who ascended to the role and had a career year. But now he is set to walk as a UFA in a weak class and earn a life-changing pay day that might inflate his value to the point Colorado would have to pay him more than he’s worth to retain him.

Dubois, who reportedly seeks a $9 million AAV on his next contract, would obviously cost a lot more than Compher. But Dubois brings a much higher offensive ceiling and is roughly three years younger. He’d be a foundational piece up the middle for Colorado to build around, cementing a formidable 1-2 punch with Nathan MacKinnon, who is signed long term. With captain Gabriel Landeskog an his $7 million AAV landing on LTIR for all next season, cap space won’t be a problem.

Fly in the ointment:

Do the Avs have the assets to land Dubois? As a recent Stanley Cup champion, they’re entering their top-heavy years in which they’re paying their elite players significant money while their depth, especially in the forward group, starts to dwindle behind the top six. Especially with Landeskog out, there’s no way Colorado moves anyone from the core group including Mikko Rantanen, Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin. A trade package strong enough to entice the Jets would likely have to include an NHL defenseman with upside, then. Samuel Girard would be the name Colorado wants to move, but aren’t you asking for Bowen Byram if you’re Cheveldayoff? It’s fair to wonder if Colorado is better off keeping its existing core and just overpaying slightly to re-sign Compher. At least you don’t have to remove a lineup asset to do so.

Montreal Canadiens

Why he makes sense:

The Habs have been Dubois’ preferred and heavily rumored long-term home for…a year? More? And current reporting suggests he has the Habs on his list of teams for which he’d sign a long-term extension. They have built their critical mass of exciting young prospects and then some. They are ready to push their rebuild forward. Not only do they have plenty of young, NHL-ready talent they could kick into a trade, but they have two first-round picks in 2023. The Jets reportedly want win-now assets, yes, but what if the Habs dangled the No. 5 overall pick?

Fly in the ointment:

The Canadiens have been tearing it down and starting over under GM Kent Hughes. Their future is starting to crystallize, but they arguably still don’t have a can’t-miss superstar in their system, not even after drafting Juraj Slafkovsky first overall last season. Is it worth ponying up a package that might include a high-upside No. 5 overall pick to get a good-but-not-elite talent like Dubois? Factoring in what it might take to get him, the Habs would be elevating their immediate floor but also lowering their ceiling. Also: it’s worth noting once again that Dubois struggled to get comfortable in his first two NHL cities. He has also battled inconsistency throughout his career. Can we say for certain that he’ll instantly love playing as a Francophone star in one of the sport’s biggest pressure cooker markets?

Minnesota Wild

Why he makes sense: 

The Minnesota Wild continue to yearn for a true first-line center to play with Kirill Kaprizov. They have one legitimately excellent pivot in Joel Eriksson Ek, but he shoulders a lot of defensive responsibility. Ryan Hartman regressed badly in 2022-23, and Marco Rossi hasn’t made the leap to establish himself as a full-time NHLer. Dubois would instantly slot in as Minnesota’s top pivot and could help Kirill Kaprizov explode toward an MVP-level ceiling.

Fly in the ointment:

Cap space is a sore spot for the Wild right now, to say the least. Their buyout penalties for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter exceed $14 million this season. They also owe RFA goaltender Filip Gustavsson a significant raise. To fit Dubois under the cap, they’d have to move money out – and it’s unlikely to be bad money given the package has to be appealing to the Jets. In other words, the Wild might have to move a useful player and weaken their depth in the process of acquiring Dubois.

What about these teams?

No Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings or New York Rangers? Nope, sorry, not buying it. The Bruins have to pay major performance bonus overages to Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci and don’t have many young, high-upside assets to dangle. The Red Wings, Kings and Rangers all already have good No. 1 centers (Dylan Larkin, Anze Kopitar, Mika Zibanejad) and all spent significant money on No. 2 centers in the past summer or two (Andrew Copp, Phillip Danault, Trocheck).