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

Kings GM Rob Blake Does Properly 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 capable of get out of such a nasty contract.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

NHL Trade: Pierre-Luc Dubois Traded for Darcy Kuemper

Jay Onrait: Craig as you realize, there was one other large commerce on Wednesday and the commerce was one-for-one. The Kings traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Capitals in change 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 an awesome first season with the Kings, becoming a member of his fourth group 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 loads of hypothesis that Kings would possibly simply would possibly simply purchase out Pierre-Luc Dubois contract altogether.

The truth that Rob Blake really obtained 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 quite a few causes. And also you’re a really, very type soul, Jay. I say that on digital camera. 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 type 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 an enormous commerce final summer time with the Winnipeg Jets to accumulate Pierre-Luc Dubois and to enroll to that contract. I believe it’s at all times troublesome for a Common 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 transferring on. We’re not hanging on to one thing that clearly didn’t work. And for that, that’s an enormous A.

Quantity two, we all know that the LA Kings had been in on goaltenders; we all know that Linus Ullmark was probably 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. It is a excellent defensive group and Darcy Kuemper, who has confirmed that he could be a actually good stable goaltender behind a extremely good stable defensive group.

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I believe that carries vital weight. He’s gained a Stanley Cup, and I believe the truth that he was in LA, and he’s any individual 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 believe is de facto essential.

The Washington Capitals had been horrible defensively, simply horrible. And I believe 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 believe it’s a recognition that didn’t work with Pierre-Luc Dubois. Onto our subsequent aim. Onto our subsequent goal. I believe Rob Blake did an impressive job on this regard.”