Capitals acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois from Kings for Darcy Kuemper

After posting back-to-back 60-point seasons in Winnipeg, Los Angeles originally thought Dubois would make a perfect addition as the team’s second-line center for many years to come, and even replace Anze Kopitar as the team’s top center when he eventually hangs up his skates. However, Dubois failed to deliver on the expectations that come with an $8.5M salary with the Kings, scoring only 16 goals and 40 points this past season.

Dubois’ offensive production was not the only thing to slip in his first season in California, as both his defensive and possession metrics also saw a decline. Nevertheless, although inconsistency has plagued him for much of his career, Dubois is still only 25 years old, giving him plenty of time to become a dependable player on any team.

Dubois should have access to a much larger role in Washington. Nicklas Backstrom has more than likely played his last game in the NHL after failing to fully recover from hip-resurfacing surgery while Evgeny Kuznetsov was shipped to the Carolina Hurricanes at last year’s deadline.

The Capitals will likely start Dubois as the team’s second-line center with Dylan Strome creating solid chemistry with franchise legend Alex Ovechkin, but Dubois gives the team a lot of flexibility at the top of their forward core. Although he is not a very physical player, Dubois carries a big frame which could allow more ice to open up for Ovechkin.

On the other side of the deal, Kuemper’s inclusion in the deal gives Los Angeles some much-needed certainty in the crease while opening up another $3.25M in cap space. Likewise, this means that the Capitals have firmly committed to Charlie Lindgren as the team’s top goaltender heading into the 2024-25 NHL season. After the swap, the Kings now have $23.45M in cap space but do have a couple of restricted free agents to bring back into the fold.

It will be interesting to see if Kuemper can rediscover his game in California, as he had not been very consistent throughout his time with the Capitals. In 2021-22, then the starting goal tender for the Colorado Avalanche, Kuemper backstopped his team to a Stanley Cup Championship which would later earn him a five-year, $26.25M deal with Washington.

Throughout his time in the United States capital, Kuemper started in 86 games in two seasons, posting a 35-40-10 record while carrying a .902 save percentage and 3.03 goals against average. In any case, Kuemper should benefit from a much stronger defensive core in Los Angeles as the team only allowed 2,296 shots against this past season, good for fourth in the NHL.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.