Pierre-Luc Dubois chalks up problematic reputation to being 'misunderstood'

Drafted No. 3 overall by Columbus in the 2016 draft, Dubois just never seemed to mesh well with the Blue Jackets. His on-ice performance was solid, scoring 65 goals and 158 points over 234 games, but he always seemed to be a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.

After being traded to the Winnipeg Jets for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslavic in 2020, Dubois set new career highs in goals (28) in 2021 and points in 2022 (63) and helped lead the Jets to the playoffs twice. But again, he requested another trade after his third year.

Now in L.A., Dubois will likely slot in as the Kings No. 1 center behind Anze Kopitar and will be surrounded by plenty of talented scorers. He gets the fresh start he’s been seeking with a new eight-year, $68M contract to boot on a team that’s arguably built to win now.

"I think, obviously, with demanding a trade out of Columbus, and then the situation with Winnipeg … everybody looks at those decisions, and some people agree, some people disagree,” Dubois said. “… Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, but at the end of the day, it's my life. I have to do what I think is right. … But I felt I was ready to move on and do a new chapter in my career and in my life.”