Pierre-Luc Dubois chalks up problematic reputation to being 'misunderstood'
Newly acquired Los Angeles Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois just turned 25 and he’s already on his third NHL team.
After requested to be traded twice over the last three seasons, Dubois maintains that while that may have earned him a vexing reputation already, his intentions to find the right fit for himself have simply been misconstrued.
"I think I'm misunderstood at times, but I think a lot of people don't really know me,” Dubois told NHL.com. “And that's fine. Sometimes in this world it's hard to get to know guys. … Now it'll be a fun opportunity for me to just be who I am. Not show anybody, not prove to anybody, but just fully be me."
In the week since joining the Kings, Dubois has made an effort to ingratiate himself to the fans and the community, making several appearances across L.A.
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.”
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