The Winnipeg Jets completed a sign-and-trade sending Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick, the teams announced Tuesday.
Prior to the swap, the Jets inked Dubois to an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $8.5 million. He was a pending restricted free agent, so he had to sign the extension with Winnipeg in order to receive the maximum eight-year term.
"Eight years is a long time, but there's no doubt in my mind it was the right decision," Dubois said shortly after the deal was announced, according to the Los Angeles Times' Helene Elliott.
He added, "This team has everything you need to win the Cup."
The disgruntled forward's future in Winnipeg was in doubt for some time. Last year, Dubois reportedly told the Jets he planned to test free agency in 2024. He signed a one-year, $6-million deal as a restricted free agent last summer.
Early this June, Dubois' agent, Pat Brisson, reportedly informed the Jets that his client wasn't interested in signing an extension with Winnipeg this offseason.
The 25-year-old put up 27 goals and a career-high 63 points in 73 games while averaging 18:27 minutes of ice time per contest in 2022-23.
"Pierre-Luc Dubois is an elite two-way center with a unique skill set, and we're excited to have him join the organization and commit to us long term," Kings general manager Rob Blake said. "Over the last few seasons, he has proven the ability to contribute to all facets of the game, and we are thrilled to be able to add a player of this caliber into our lineup."
Dubois is entering his seventh season in the NHL and the Kings are his third team. The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted him third overall in 2016, but his tenure in Ohio was rocky at best.
Prior to the 2020-21 campaign, Dubois signed a two-year, $10-million extension with the Blue Jackets as a restricted free agent. However, reports that he'd requested a trade out of Columbus began to surface shortly after.
Just over one week into the season, the Jackets traded Dubois and a 2022 third-round pick to the Jets in exchange for forwards Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic.
Dubois has 129 goals and 173 assists in 434 career NHL games.
As for the Jets' haul, Vilardi is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The 23-year-old netted a career-high 23 goals and 41 points in 63 contests this campaign. He tied Adrian Kempe for the most game-winning goals on the Kings with six.
Iafallo, 29, potted 14 goals and 22 assists in 59 showings, good for his fifth consecutive 30-point season. He has two campaigns remaining on his current deal with a $4-million cap hit.
Los Angeles drafted Kupari 20th overall in 2018. He registered three goals and 12 assists in 66 games with the big club. The 23-year-old has amassed 29 points in 130 NHL games spread over three seasons.
The Jets have just under $9 million in cap space after the deal, while the Kings have approximately $4.5 million, according to CapFriendly.
Blake confirmed that Dubois' new deal carries a form of trade protection similar to star forward Kevin Fiala's pact, per team beat reporter Zach Dooley.
Fiala had no protection in the first season of his seven-year extension that he signed last June, but his contract will include a no-move clause for the next three seasons. He'll submit a 10-team no-trade list for the final three campaigns, beginning in 2026-27.
Dubois will bolster the Kings' forces up the middle and gives Los Angeles a solid 1-2-3 punch alongside Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault. Kopitar, 35, is entering the final season of an eight-year, $80-million contract.
