Huge LA Kings Rumour - Dubois Buyout Coming?

Huge LA Kings Rumour - Dubois Buyout Coming?
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[@TopShelfHockey]

Let me know your thoughts on the future of PLD

[@canadianwinterpeg6310]

The real winner here is PLD. Dude figured life out and is now rich as heck for doing almost nothing in the NHL

[@tylerwfy6]

Dude is winning at life

[@aqaz120]

and will be ridiculed for life as well dont forget that

[@goenzoy712]

18 minutes TOI is also good for your health

[@kevinshea408]

This is such a tough position to be in if you’re LA. Essentially, your track record here is calling for a rebuild, but on paper your roster says otherwise. In my opinion, the PLD buyout HAS to happen. The question then remains on whether or not that will have a trickle down effect going forward with the rest of your roster… If they’re not all in, it wouldn’t surprise me if some of the main pieces there (Kopitar, Doughty, etc.) would want a shot somewhere else.

[@dmwehrer7094]

At $11m/year Dougherty ain't going anywhere. Are you kidding me?

[@deuceb8472]

Looked at the buyout numbers...it's 14 years so awful in that respect but the dollar value per years especially with the cap going up in the future and after the 1/3 discount aren't egregious; particularly the last 7 years where it's only 1.1mil and not more than 3.8mil in the first 7. If they think he's that much of a disaster they need to do it now.

[@user-jm5gf1je1m]

They should do it as soon as possible. Cut yr losses, I would never take that guy on my team even at league minimum. Too toxic.

[@ericcarlson8320]

Yep, it goes to 2/3 as soon as he turns 26, which is in July, time is literally of the essence.

[@crystalhopereed4954]

I've been calling for buyout for at least three months and bavk then everyone told me I was crazy. I'm happy to see it's being given serious consideration now.

[@dylanmilks]

I'm a Jets fan in Winnipeg. For the years Dubois was with us, he's was really good 2/3rds of the time. He was a breast and good in all 3 zones. He seems to have gone down-hill big time in LA. He's got it in him to be a great player, but even playing in a big market like LA, where he wants to be, he only shows up 10% of the time.

[@HAL9010-sv1gh]

"He was a breast...". Er, I think that you may have a typo on your hands there...unless you really ARE trying to say something very unique about PLD😁!

[@fatmanchew909]

He was a breast on the Jets but he's a boob in LA and just like other boobs it's all filler no function.

[@karokaro7328]

The real beasts in this s**t show are the Jets GM and PLD's agent who robbed the Kings blind thanks to the brainless King's GM Rob Blake!!!

[@stephenphillips6245]

PLD for Columbus, during the playoffs, was a beast for them and he was good for Winnipeg as well. Chances are he is not as bad as he is now and not as great as he was then.

[@starkiller34]

Do it. Robs Blake's job is already lost anyways imo. At the end of the day the decision is: either give PLD the chance to pick up the pieces and become what he can be... while risking the whole team's salary structure in the process... Nope. You can't give a single guy that much sway on the team. Besides, after the first half of the season we were saying he has the second half to make up for things... then it's the playoffs, surely he can make up for his poor play there, even become a folk hero.... nope. Take advantage of that window, because he's gonna be much MUCH harder to trade. You have to bite this bullet. And re-evaluate your hires..... if Bergevin is really there to replace Blake... just, take a wild guess as to who fought to get PLD there...

[@bradbradbury8561]

Chevy says sorry Kings, no refunds

[@erikkyle92]

I’m typically a big believer in giving players 2 years minimum before calling a player a bust. That goes for prospects, big trades, and big FA’s. And I definitely do think there’s still a good player in PLD somewhere, but he is a bust of a move by Rob Blake after year 1. What’s really weird to me is that they made this move with the intention of really wanting to take advantage of their depth especially down the middle and especially with the top 9. It didn’t really seem like they committed enough to that vision and I think that was partially on the coaching staff, but mainly on PLD because there were some games where it looked like he rlly didn’t deserve minutes. Other games it looked like he was a dominant force on the ice. But it’s mainly on PLD like you’re a pro athlete playing the sport you love for a living. You can’t just decide when you wanna show up or try cuz then a coach isn’t gonna trust you with consistent top minutes, you gotta earn it. The fact that there’s a buyout conversation to be had already makes this a bust, because if they do buy him out, you’re not just down PLD, you’re down Vilardi, Iafallo, Kupari, and Durzi, all to get nothing in return and get bounced in 5 by the same team that’s bounced you in the last 2 years. All of those players, especially Vilardi, would’ve been great for the team this year, or even if they were used in a different package, they all had great value and could’ve netted the Kings a really good player. A sign that this current leadership group in LA needs to go, and hopefully whoever is in the front office by the end of the Stanley Cup can salvage whatever they can.

[@damienralentass7551]

It will only work if LA buyout Dubois before his anniversary and after the Stanley Cip is won. If that happens, they can buy his contract to 1/3 of it's value. Anything else, they will be forced to pay 2/3 of his contract. That's why the rumors are goings awire.

[@SedatKulafofski-eh5pc]

That contract is looking like it's a Pierre Luc Albatross lol

[@S_Edward_Campbell]

Goals, goals, everywhere. So much the boards did creek. Goals, goals, everywhere. Nor a drop to drink.

[@kennethrhea7746]

as a kings fan. i was not happy with the trade for PLD. Since Villardi is the best player in the deal. but he also cant stay healthy. whats more crazy. is the rumor that there was a trade with boston for Ullmark for PLD. and Ullmark declined the trade. Imagine if that actually happened. It would have been glorious. I do however feel they wont buy him out and hope he does better on the wing. I think the idea is to get byfield at center and have PLD be a winger. I just dont see a buyout happening.

[@ericcarlson8320]

I agree, and he truly didn't get much time playing a top 6 role. He was on the always changing 3rd/4th line when the guy used to play top 6 exclusively. Blake set him up for failure and a ton of criticism at 8.5 a year and if he asked for that amount, we should have told him where to go. It's frustrating when you see glimpses of what he could be, but you can't teach drive.

[@nummytacos128]

They're either going to buy out his contract or trade him with retention. No way they continue going forward after watching his severe lack of effort all season and playoffs. He just doesn't fit in the system the Kings play because he shines on bad teams where he can just do whatever he wants (kinda like Erik Karlsson when he was on the Sharks). Roy, Arvidsson, and Byfield all need to stay, and I think the Kings could sign them all easily if they back load their cap hits to the 2026-27 season when Kopitar is likely to retire. This would leave a good two year window to remain relatively competitive with Kopitar still captaining the team. They will almost certainly seek a right handed 2nd/3rd liner as well given their lack of good right handed shots. I'm really looking at the Penguins as potential trade partners for Dubois. They're almost certainly about to go into rebuild mode with Malkin/Letang slowing down (Crosby probably isn't, I mean look at what he did last year), so Dubois could be an interesting option to fill in the gap. The Kings could try to get Jarry from them with Dubois, like they tried to do with Ullmark from the Bruins at the deadline. I really don't expect the Kings to even consider going into another rebuild because their roster has a ton of talent, it just lacks consistency right now. Hopefully they figure it out this off-season.

[@tylerwfy6]

If only they could have watched him play last year and prior

[@nummytacos128]

@@tylerwfy6 Right, when was the last time a one time 60 point player with no defensive upside was paid 8.5m?

[@fomocoshow]

Back loading the contract doesn't affect the cap hit.

[@randypattie9524]

Don't agree with you Mike on your assessment of Kevin Fiala. I mean maybe that contract won't age well at this point in time, but you can't argue too much with 140 plus points in the last two seasons at under 8 mil. Dubuois can only dream about that kind of production.

[@nummytacos128]

Yea, Fiala is one of their best players easily, and they are not regretting his contract in any way. Unfortunately, he just tried to do it all by himself in the playoffs, and that clearly didn't work well.

[@joemofo5689]

Fiala is a game changer. Not sure what this dude is talking about. He had the most pts this year

[@maryrowe1616]

I learn alot from you....

[@keithketlo2096]

If they can buy him out at 1/3 it would be the best option and let’s hope no more nhl teams take a chance on him

[@ssmith87]

I DO NOT..DO NOT! understand how ANY GM didn’t see him being a problem the way he acted in Columbus? Then to see it again in Winnipeg (i said it was him & Wheeler were probably the biggest pproblems) & for any GM to trade…trade?! for him. J i said when it happened that Rob Blake will regret that trade really quickly..this is NOT surprising at all! He has to buyout PLD before the deadline if they can’t trade..if another GM trades for him they’re absolutely out of their mind

[@timothyflanigan1777]

this is why LA was trying to pawn him off to the Bruins in an Ullmark trade. Boston dodged a huge mistake.

[@threetimesorange]

They will buy him out. Because it sends the right message to the team. You can tell that they don't like his presence.

[@grahamdamberger7130]

Toronto should do the same with Marner and Tavares if they can.

[@goenzoy712]

Would be unfair to them Tavares was good in Playoff and Marner is a highly talented and agile player.Unfortunately both with last punch , killer instinct missing.Plus well overpaid Trading without knowing what comes in would be foolish

[@user-sn8sw2vi8z]

⁠Marner is good he not a buyout player 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️. JT is still good also not $11 Million player but he still gets u 70-75 points a season.

[@user-sn8sw2vi8z]

@@goenzoy712🙄🙄🙄

[@mariovaccarella6854]

Great Video, as usual, Mike. I don't think that The LA Kings should overreact regarding the Pierre Luc Dubois situation. I think that he's got to find some niche with who he can play on a Line with. He does have the talent (I'm wondering if going to A Party Town might have a thing to do with it). Let me know what you think.

[@jac335]

He's a 2 million man . Thank goodness Montreal didn't bite.

[@garrythomson6006]

As an Oiler fan Vilardi and Iofallo played great against the Oilers . The Kings were a way better team with the players they sent to the Jets for Dubois

[@michaelkeller5927]

Pld buyout is not realistic. Trading him with 50% retained, youd still get a 3rd or 4th round oick atvthe very least

[@jonbenjisnomore7935]

Can't see them doing that this summer maybe next year if he doesn't improve. If he is bought out does he even get another NHL team willing to take a chance on him? It could be the KHL or another European league for him. Some have said he is a coach killer but if he is bought out does Rob Blake the LA GM pay the price by being fired. The Columbus GM has been fired so....

[@Benvyious]

The players list aren’t that big it’s the contract. Vilardi is made of glass as highlighted this season. The money owed is the biggest hurdle

[@murraysteingart870]

A buyout would be great for LA. Smart decision. Maybe fill some needed roster spots. But could it be bad for PLD? How many teams are going to wanna sign him ? Especially to a long term deal. He would drive coaches nuts. So much talent and SO little drive!!

[@8randyn8]

I am not going to defend Dubois, he needs to produce more but it must be understood that he was playing as the Kings 3C & on the second PP for the entire season. He was playing with a rookie, and bottom six wingers all year. His average ice time is down almost 3 minutes a game from when he was with the Jets. The Kings asked him to learn how to check for the first time in his career this last season,

[@SixerIverson04]

Do the Maples Leafs pls

[@user-sn8sw2vi8z]

Bam Son

[@hermanohm7861]

Yes do the buyout we young prospects ready to play now

[@julien1518]

Do it, do it, do it.

[@user-sn8sw2vi8z]

🙄🙄🙄

[@rich8880]

YES ON PLD

[@CosmicDK]

What a 💩 show that contract has been

[@squidMB]

I wonder where he would sign afterwards

[@stephaniep456]

The reality of what the buyout could look like is depressing. I can't believe any of the FO still have jobs after that deal.

[@LEV1ATHYN]

They absolutely will buy him out. Gotta take your medicine and take advantage of the 1/3 clause.

[@bhbecca]

I watched every game Dubois played this year. The skill is there, but he only has intensity on a few shifts. He is not driven. He does not lead. He's big and yet at times he let people push him around. His character is lacking. He must either be traded or bought out. Boston wanted him at the deadline but the goalie they were receiving rejected the deal. Either way-- he has to go.

[@schtoop2234]

Buy out possible but unlikely if before June 24, no chance on the 25th.

[@cfgjr]

Just keep him away from the Blackhawks, please.

[@julien1518]

Love it. "Not in my backyard!"

[@costa328]

If this happens, you can expect Marc Bergervin to be let go because everyone knows Bergervin must have been pushing for him.

[@user-sn8sw2vi8z]

If the leafs fire Keefe who will be a good candidate for the new coach?

[@jim3541]

Its hilarious how Dubois convinced Blakey he was worth 8mil a year, just google his career stats lol Out of his 8 seasons his career high for goals is 27 ,and points 63. Undrafted, 4Mil a year Trevor Moore is better.. Blake doesnt understand how contract negotiations work Dubois did a big ask and Blake just took it for some reason and didnt try to negotiate. Blame Blake for the 8mil not Dubois

[@infinitybb4]

I hated the trade but he’s here and I think we should give him another year to prove himself.

[@TheRedDevil_NC]

I’m sure his teammates want him there as he takes away the criticism from the other players who were just brutal all year.

[@JohnnyDanger-th4ui]

PLD SUCKS!!! No team is gonna want him no matter the savings

[@daveyoung9484]

Boston did

[@JohnnyDanger-th4ui]

@@daveyoung9484 Boston wants or wanted Pierre-Luc Dubois???

[@andrewdiceclay2595]

figured it would have took 2 years

[@dmwehrer7094]

Blake better have his finger on that button right now. POS is a dawg.

[@nicholasciviero7289]

KHL!!!

[@sugasmotempton3295]

Retain 50% of his contract and trade him. Better in comparison to the buyout penalty.

[@rickyaz8640]

Not a 1/3 buyout. 7x $4+m is pretty bad

[@sugasmotempton3295]

@@rickyaz8640 fair. If they don’t terminate and wait a year, how does 2/3 measure up compared to 7+ years at 4+mil?

[@Thorin7]

PLD didn't work out? 😂

[@francescoiaderosa2247]

His heart is in Montreal. Watch him put up 100 points when he gets there 😅

[@canadianwinterpeg6310]

hahahahaha PLD putting up 100 in the NHL is the day the leafs win a game 7. Never going to happen.

[@wendellhhardisty4647]

Montreal won’t want him if he’s not putting in a effort elsewhere.

[@rickyaz8640]

Stanley Cup can go until … June 24!

[@jferg999]

Great report Mike! Re: PLD: attempt to trade him with retained salary. If that doesnt work BUY THE CHUMP OUT! He has destroyed what chemistry there could have been on the Kings. When Kopitar & Doughty have lost faith in you the team has to act now & get the best arrangement via trade or buyout that they can get and start their rebuild. AND...Please....Kent Hughes... don't bring PLD to the Habs!!!

[@starkiller34]

Not to worry. The Habs didn't want to give him 8.5$ last summer... They'll want to do it even less now. The Kings won't successfully trade him, what they would have to give (every GM is gonna try to fleece them) would simply be too ridiculous I believe just buying him out will hurt the team less long term. Like, if MTL were to take PLD, You KNOW Gallagher and Anderson are going the other way, and I don't know how many first I'm asking for as well...

[@Robert-fy2oh]

I am so with you on PLD NOTending up in MTL. He isn't a good pro who will make a positive impact in the room. Stay away Kent!

[@reindeerheadgames]

Keep him and lock him in the gym all summer. hELL the whole team should work out as well. I want the Kings to level every team, every game.

[@biglebowski3961]

Some nhl gms are nuts and it's ruining the sport.

[@Immatrollyou]

14 year buyout dam..leafs will take him

[@iml1945]

Pierre Loot DuBois?

[@michelmayrand9557]

What a disaster for the Kings. They cannot trade this guy without accepting to a large portion of his salary so, a buyout seems like their best way out of his deal. His next team will not make the same mistake so I expect a one year deal at $1.5 million. No team will sign him for a long time based on his past record.

[@starkiller34]

1yr, minimum salary. If he doesn't take that with 66 million in the bank, I don't want him on my team, he hasn't learned a thing and doesn't realize he needs to re-prove himself..... why would anyone give him a penny more than minimum?

[@Superscout19]

Maybe Leafs could trade Marner and Reilly for Byfield and Clarke and Kings 2024 1st round pick and Leafs could take PLD off Kings hands and buy him out.

[@TheRedDevil_NC]

Put the crack pipe down. We aren’t letting you dump Marners salary and give those give two players to you .

[@user-sn8sw2vi8z]

@@TheRedDevil_NC🤯🤯🤯🤣🤣🤣

[@Gintelligence]

Yeah Buy him out and let him get away from the Offensively stifling 1-3-1,He`ll be 30% more productive at the very least, not a PLD fan but hve played the 1-3-1 ewwwww

[@aqaz120]

I really hope dubois is watching all of this deserved negativity of his poor work ethic, this better be a wake up call to him to PUT IN THE WORK to be worthy of 8.5 mil other wise he'll be having a buyout history like Scott gomez and lecavalier. WAKE UP DUBOIS

[@smadas4192]

What does he care, he got paid!

[@aqaz120]

@@smadas4192 clearly you have no interest in the sport who cares if he got paid he should be performing to that contract, let me ask you this why play if you dont love the sport and dont want to put in the work. He was signed to be the forward he could be but has been terrible all year and bounced around team to team to finally get what he wants only to be met with negativity for his poor performance and locker room cancer. He is taking money with piss poor performance and no good work ethic so he deserves every grief of criticism if he retires fine he'll be the most hated player for the rest of his life and will be labled bust looking like alexandre daigle

[@smadas4192]

@@aqaz120 dude, first off he's done well in his other locations! Maybe he doesn't like being on the kings! 2nd, as someone who's watched for 52 yrs, there are those players! 3rd, maybe he's one of them, maybe not and looking at his numbers in other places, I would say he's not! You need to chill!

[@aqaz120]

@@smadas4192 he's been givin multiple chances he's shown flashes of it but has been inconsistent dont get me wrong the talent is their but he is not utilizing it consistently during his with the jackets he's shown great promise but did not get along with torts and needed a change of scenery I was like ok maybe this trade will work he was good in Winnipeg showed signs of again and flashes but not consistent enough then wants out of Winnipeg refusing to sign long term now on his third team its getting annoying and its showing geniune reason why he has not been consistent and now its starting to show why torts wants more from him but he is not giving it. PLD is the problem here he has all the tools to be the best but is not utilizing it after 2 previous teams starting to look like talent but no work ethic whats so ever

[@ericcarlson8320]

@@smadas4192 He has asked to be traded from his past two teams, dude cries and has zero heart. He talks about playing better, but actions speak louder than hallow words.

[@fatmanchew909]

As long as the stipulation is Blake gets fired

[@marklavalle2154]

Out with PLD and hurry!

[@marklavalle2154]

Blake too

[@coolietoolie]

IMO, PLD should be dumped in any way they can work it out. Watching him play this year, most of the time it almost looks like a slacker that puts in the minimum effort to get by. Not a good example for the young guys and certainly not a good team fit. I feel that when he was signed, he was signed for what they felt he was capable to doing. He needed to step up to the plate and show that he was really worth the money he is making. He didn't do it!! Instead, he showed he is just another "also ran."

[@user-sn8sw2vi8z]

Trade Marner but not a buyout.

[@jac335]

Send him to ahl or less for rest of his career

[@TOOL_Lateralus]

Dubois is a piss poor player he doesn't even deserve to play in the NHL they way he plays!

[@judymowatt4264]

The buy-out rumour is just amongst armchair coaches/fans. It's just wishful thinking.

[@TheRedDevil_NC]

Buyout won’t happen. It would be made even worse when he scores 60-80 points for another team .

[@michaelv1986]

Rob Blake needs to be fired and if ownership keeps Blake, I am done as a Kings fan. The signs were there. The previous knocks were there and Blake and Robataille absolutely decided to not care. I hope we get rid of him because any player that shows up once every ten games is a cancer to a team. Buy him out and fire both Blake and Robataille.

[@soysauce76]

Kings totally mismanaged him and playing him with rookies and bottom of the line up. Of course he’s going to put up low numbers. You pay him as a high end center, play him at least on the second line and move danault on the 3rd where he should be. Once again, if Lizotte is your 3rd line center with Trevor Lewis, you’re already fucked. Plus the 1-3-1 is terrible for offensive players.

[@kingsfan2099]

Dude is gonna get paid with zero effort. Pretty lame.

[@floxy20]

It's not as if the GMs don't know who the flakes in the league are.

[@FlavorCountryUSA]

Is there anyone out there who actually believes in PLD? Please, tell me what I’m missing. This dude is bad vibes wherever he goes as soon as things aren’t going his way. Seen what he can do but all the other negative crap outweighs the positive.

[@tylerwfy6]

Huge fan of Dubois and all of the damage he is doing to LA! He's playing 4D chess. Why make $8.5M for one year of hockey when you can put in zero effort and make $8.5M plus $27M in the offseason buyout and then sign a brand new contract with a different team

[@ericcarlson8320]

Good thing the ducks will suck for the foreseeable future. But your jealousy is showing.

[@tylerwfy6]

​@@ericcarlson8320 ducks are just loading up with prospects and waiting for McDavid's prime to pass before trying to compete in the Pacific like the dumb kings

[@ericcarlson8320]

@@tylerwfy6 HAHA just loading up, you mean perpetually sucking. By the time you guys are competitive, Gibson will retire and you won't have a goalie. It's all good, whatever helps you sleep at night. It's ok, my cousin is a ducks fan, and he has a smooth brain as well.

[@tylerwfy6]

@@ericcarlson8320 no goalie... like the kings! Dostal is better than Gibson right now

[@ericcarlson8320]

@@tylerwfy6 That's funny since we had the 3rd lowest goals against in the regular season, nice try though and with a 36 year old goalie. We also have Portillo in Ontario who is killing it. You will learn his name soon.

[@user-sn8sw2vi8z]

Laine and Dubois wtf happen to these 2 guys? they started career superstars now they both 💩🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@BAKEJUNTZ]

LA KINGS , a major disappointment and i have lost all respect for that organization. Rob Blake is a curse word in my home now. Thanks *****

[@jaythompson5102]

This is why I hate when beloved former players go into management.

[@martinklaus2203]

Dump him as soon as you can, and save money.