Kings Rumors: 3 Potential Trade Destinations for Pierre-Luc Dubois

Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake admitted after this season that he wasn't necessarily pleased with Pierre-Luc Dubois' performance in his first season with the team. Blake also mentioned the team will not be buying out the 25-year-old forward, however it's worth noting Dubois' no-movement clause doesn't kick in until after the NHL Draft. 

There's certainly a chance Blake has some conversations with some rival GM's across the league looking to shed the underperforming centre and the rest of his $68 million contract over the next seven seasons. Here's three potential trade destinations for Dubois:

Washington Capitals

Recently Jeff Marek of Sportsnet through out the idea of moving Dubois to the Caps for goaltender Darcy Kuemper. The Kings are familiar with Kuemper who also is underperforming but comes in at less of a cap hit at $5.25 million instead of Dubois' deal which is $8.5 million annually. The Kings are very much in the market for a new starter and a change of scenery back to the west coast could be exactly what Kuemper needs to get his game back on track. The Caps are thin down the middle and need to re-tool on the fly throughout Alex Ovechkin's final seasons so this could be a match.

Utah ________

Utah's owner is going balls to the wall this summer and is looking to make some blockbuster moves to create a buzz for his new fan base. Dubois isn't necessarily a huge star but he's a well known name and it would finally be an addition for the Coyotes franchise that had continued to preach draft picks and development. They have Karel Vejmelka who the Kings could have interest in and Utah certainly has the cap space to fit in Dubois with ease.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are looking to slowly take steps forward these next couple of years and could see Dubois as a top-six addition that could help them get back into the playoff picture. Of course, they won't want to look to hard into his 2023-24 stats as he just posted 40 points in 62 games. Dubois has shown in the past he's capable of putting the puck in the net and play with some edge. The Blackhawks are the dark horse of the trio and certainly the least likely. 

Photo credit:  Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports