Kings Discover Means Out of Pierre-Luc Dubois Contract and Get a Goalie

Kings GM Rob Blake Does Nicely with Dubois for Kuemper Commerce

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button joined Jay Onrait on SportsCenter to debate the commerce of Pierre-Luc Dubois being traded by the Los Angeles Kings to the Washington Capitals for Darcy Kuemper and the way Kings GM Rob Blake was in a position to get out of such a nasty contract.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

NHL Trade: Pierre-Luc Dubois Traded for Darcy Kuemper

Jay Onrait: Craig as you already know, there was one other huge commerce on Wednesday and the commerce was one-for-one. The Kings traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Capitals in alternate for goaltender Darcy Kemper. Dubois simply accomplished the primary season of an eight-year $68 million extension he signed in June of final yr after being traded to LA from Winnipeg. He didn’t have such a fantastic first season with the Kings, becoming a member of his fourth workforce in simply eight seasons within the NHL.

As for Kuemper, he misplaced his beginning job to Charlie Lindgren this yr. He’s getting into the third yr of a five-year contract he signed with the Caps in 2022. He was with the Kings beforehand as a backup to Jonathan Quick. To start with, at one level, Craig and, you and I talked about this earlier than the present even began there’s a variety of hypothesis that Kings may simply may simply purchase out Pierre-Luc Dubois contract altogether.

The truth that Rob Blake really acquired a participant for Dubois, acquire some cap house and actually addressed a necessity as a result of the Kings did want a beginning goaltender and Kuemper has been good in LA beforehand. General did you give Rob Blake an A grade for this deal?

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Craig Button: I do and I’ll give him an A grade for numerous causes. And also you’re a really, very sort soul, Jay. I say that on digicam. I say that off-camera since you actually are. However the backside line is so that you can say that Pierre-Luc Dubois had not so nice a season. That’s the sort soul you might be as a result of what Pierre-Luc Dubois had was an abysmal season.

It was terrible in each single regard, and that was after Rob Blake had made a giant commerce final summer season with the Winnipeg Jets to amass Pierre-Luc Dubois and to enroll to that contract. I feel it’s at all times tough for a Basic Supervisor to face up and go, we made a mistake. It didn’t work out. Possibly it’s our fault. Possibly it’s Pierre-Luc Dubois fault, however we’re shifting on. We’re not hanging on to one thing that clearly didn’t work. And for that, that’s a giant A.

Quantity two, we all know that the LA Kings had been in on goaltenders; we all know that Linus Ullmark was doubtlessly a goaltender that would have ended up in LA. However on the finish of the day, what Rob Blake knew is he had to enhance his goaltending. This can be a superb defensive workforce and Darcy Kuemper, who has confirmed that he is usually a actually good strong goaltender behind a very good strong defensive workforce.

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I feel that carries vital weight. He’s gained a Stanley Cup, and I feel the truth that he was in LA, and he’s someone that’s recognized, and he’s recognized to Bill Ranford. Invoice Ranford for me, there’s no higher goaltending coach for the Nationwide Hockey League than Invoice Ranford.

There’s a number of which might be nearly as good, however Invoice Ranford additionally is aware of this goaltender too, and the truth that they performed actually good protection is one thing that I feel is de facto essential.

The Washington Capitals had been horrible defensively, simply horrible. And I feel that impacted Darcy Kuemper. So while you begin to have a look at a scenario for the LA Kings with Darcy Kuemper coming in and Pierre Luc Dubois going out, I feel it’s a recognition that didn’t work with Pierre-Luc Dubois. Onto our subsequent aim. Onto our subsequent goal. I feel Rob Blake did an impressive job on this regard.”