Author: Drew Williams
It seems as if Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois is close to getting his wish.
Reports came out Friday night that Columbus was inching closer to dealing the 2016 NHL Draft’s third-overall pick after coach John Tortorella only played the 22-year old for just under four minutes in a 3-2 overtime loss against Tampa Bay. Dubois only has one point in five games played this year, but has been a productive forward for the Blue Jackets since making his debut in the 2017-18 NHL season.
Darren Dreger is saying that Winnipeg is involved and Pierre LeBrun says that Anaheim is in the mix as well. Dreger added that teams are being told they’re “out” by Columbus brass, likely meaning they are trying to decide on which package they want out of the offers currently on the table.
Pierre LeBrun also added earlier today that other teams potentially involved were Minnesota, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, New York (R), Buffalo, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Washington. Minnesota beat reporters are now saying that the Wild are out on Dubois.
With the situation becoming white hot, let’s look at which players could be involved in the return for “PLD”:
Winnipeg: This team makes the most sense to me. Reports have come out at varying times that Patrick Laine wants out of Winnipeg, and what would make more sense to have two players traded for each other that want out. Part of me thinks that John Tortorella may not want Patrick Laine due to his lack of a two-way game, however, Laine’s one of a kind shot makes him irresistible for any team. If this is where Dubois ends up, it will be either for Laine straight up, or look for a package of picks and pieces like Jack Roslovic and Sami Niku to Columbus.
Anaheim: The Ducks make a lot of sense to me as well. They may not have as flashy of a main piece as Patrick Laine, but they do have good prospects and glaring need for a top-flight (no pun intended) center like Pierre-Luc Dubois with Ryan Getzlaf getting older. My guess is that if it were to be a one for one, Columbus would be asking for Anaheim defenseman Hampus Lindholm as the piece coming back. Would Anaheim deal him? I wouldn’t think so. He’s an incredibly steady piece on the blue line and is still young, but his contract expires in 2022. Columbus would be hard pressed to try to pry Jamie Drysdale or Trevor Zegras (who just had a monster WJC performance) as well, but it depends how bad Anaheim wants PLD. Look for a package of picks and prospects like Sam Steel or Max Jones to go in return if this is where Dubois lands.
Rangers: The Rangers make a compelling argument to secure Dubois as well. Young winger Kappo Kakko would be an interesting piece for Columbus if they decide that the Rangers have the best package for their top-line center. What pieces would go the other way for Dubois in addition to Kakko though, and do the Rangers push for an even larger deal with one of Columbus’ defensemen? I would think that makes sense, with Jack Johnson playing in the top-4 for the Rangers right now, which is less than ideal. Does Columbus see value in Anthony DeAngelo, or would they ask for another young piece like K’Andre Miller in the package? I’m not sure that Columbus chooses to deal him to New York especially when they are usually in the same division (not this year because of COVID) unless the Rangers really push hard for him, which they do have the assets to do. Keep an eye on Jeff Gorton, he’s a sneaky good GM.
Montreal: This is the only other team that I could see making a huge push for Dubois. Obviously pieces like Suzuki and Romanov are off the table with them poised to be big players going forward for Montreal. However, Jesperi Kotkaniemi would be an interesting piece for Columbus to consider. Since they would be losing a center, why not replace him with another young center with untapped potential? Of course Montreal will have to add picks and other pieces to Kotkaniemi but I would think that Montreal wants him bad. Could the sniper Cole Caulfield be involved in a potential deal as well? We will see.
Prediction: Winnipeg, for Laine straight up. It’s just way too hard to pass up on a generational wrist shot and scorer like Laine. Jarmo makes the deal and worries about finding his next big name center elsewhere.
Dark Horse not mentioned: Florida: rumors have floated that teams are checking in on Barkov.