ARLINGTON, V.A. — Pierre-Luc Dubois was in the clouds — literally, on a plane — when he found out he had been traded to the Washington Capitals for Darcy Kuemper.
Almost exactly one year ago, he'd signed an eight-year deal to be a part of the Los Angeles Kings' core long-term, and now, he was headed to his fourth team in four years.
First, there was surprise and shock. Then, excitement.
"The moment I found out it was the Washington Capitals, I was extremely excited," Dubois said. "They're a team that growing up, you were excited to watch on TV. They're a good team every year, and then when you grow up, you hear it's a great organization with a great group there... once I talked to the coaching staff, management, a few players, I couldn't be more excited to get there."
It's been a whirlwind of a week for Dubois, who turned 26 on Monday, and there is still a lot to reflect on when it comes to L.A. Dubois didn't want out of the City of Angels, and hadn't requested a trade. However, after a down year that saw him put up 40 points in 82 games and struggle to fit in with the Kings' identity, he found himself headed back to the Eastern Conference.
"The hockey world, it's a business. Teams do what they think is best for them, and that's just the way it is and that's the way it always will be. I don't think there's any time for anybody to feel sorry about themselves," Dubois noted. "Obviously I thought when I signed a year ago that I was going to be here for a long time, but you learn in the hockey world, teams will do what they think is better for their team and there's no hard feelings."
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It stung a bit for Dubois, who has a handful of 60-point campaigns under his belt in his still-young career, but it does add some fuel to the fire as he looks to bounce back in the District.
"I think just overcoming. it wasn't the season I necessarily wanted, so already there, I had motivation. And then anything like this happens, I think any guy in the league will admit that there is an extra motivation behind it," Dubois pointed out. "You want to do well even more. It's not like extra motivation was necessarily needed, but now that you have it, you can use it to your advantage... I could take (the trade) multiple ways, but I'm choosing to take it as extra motivation."
After an emotional plane ride, Dubois found himself walking around the airport, his phone blowing up with welcome texts from his new teammates while he chatted with general manager Brian MacLellan.
That phone call, followed by even more inspiring talks with Spencer Carbery and the coaching staff, meant quite a bit for the 6-foot-4 center. Not just because he felt welcome, but because he also felt wanted, as they discussed the potential of him playing a bigger role in D.C.
"It's something that every player wants to be a part of... it was exactly what you want to hear as a player: How excited they are, how I can help in a lot of ways for this team, just add to the talent that's already here and to the depth of the forward groups," Dubois said. "As a player, that’s what you want, right? You want to feel like, you want to feel welcome, you want to feel like you’re a part of it."
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When it comes to his game, Dubois thinks that he can bring versatility and skill to the forward groups, but ultimately, he wants to bring "a bit of everything" on and off the ice at both even strength and on special teams.
"I think I could forecheck well, I could play defense, I could provide some offense. It's a bit of everything, and that's where I think the coaching staff will decide where they put me and will decide who they put me with, and then from there, it's my job to do as best I can," Dubois said, citing the importance of effective communication.
Still, he knows that nothing's guaranteed; the Quebec native will have to earn his minutes and that extra responsibility he's expected to take on. And at the end of the day, he's ready for that challenge.
"I'm someone who's passionate about the details and what you can do better... I'll do my best to adjust and to learn as much as I can," Dubois said of his role, adding, "Every year you grow. Some years, it's more on the ice, some years it's more off the ice."
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