Before the start of the 2020-21 National Hockey League season, reports out of Columbus, Ohio were swirling that Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois had requested a trade. The 22-year-old is apparently not happy with his situation in Columbus, and is already looking for an out, despite just re-signing to a two-year contract back on Dec. 31.
Over the course of the past several days, the attention continues to be set on Columbus as head coach John Tortorella called out Dubois in a radio interview on 97.1 The Fan, saying that his center wanted out and "he has been honest with the group."
Thursday night saw Tortorella benching Dubois early in a 3-2 loss on home ice to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dubois took a shift in the first period, where he looked very lackadaisical and not giving very much effort in both ends. He finished the night with just one blocked shot in 3:55 of total ice-time.
Last Friday, it was reported by TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger with Andrew Peters, Craig Rivet and Martin Biron on The Instigators that the Buffalo Sabres had inquired about the availability of Dubois, but that it was nothing more than just general manager Kevyn Adams doing his due diligence.
One week later, Dreger joined The Instigators once again on WGR, and added to Buffalo's interest in the former third overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft.
"Kevyn Adams would circle back, if he hasn't already, on Pierre-Luc Dubois in Columbus," Dreger said. "I know that you'll want to dissect this as breaking news, but I'll say this with 100% certainty - there are more teams who will and have inquired on the status of Pierre-Luc Dubois than there would those who haven't inquired. I wouldn't put Buffalo as a top-five likely [team] to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois, but Kevyn Adams deserves credit. Good general managers make sure that they're not left on the outside looking in.
"I don't know that there would be a fit [in Buffalo]. ... I think every team could come up with an argument that would see their team looking better with a No. 1 or a 1A center in Pierre-Luc Dubois being part of it, but what's the ask? That's where it really gets greasy. What do you have to lose from your existing roster to make a deal like that happen?"
Fellow TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun also confirmed what Dreger has been saying, listing the Sabres as one of several teams to have inquired about Dubois with the Blue Jackets.
Dubois has had a good amount of early success in his NHL career with the Blue Jackets, scoring 66 goals and registering 93 assists for 159 points in 239 games. His best season came in the 2018-19 campaign, where he put up 61 points (27+34) in 82 games for Columbus. He also added five playoff points (2+3) in 10 games in 2019 as he helped the Blue Jackets to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Just last season, Dubois was on-pace to score 21 goals and put up career-highs in assists (36) in a full 82-game season before the regular season was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also had an outstanding showing in the NHL's Return To Play play in the summer, where he was a point per-game player with 10 points (4+6) in 10 games.
Dubois has developed himself into a top-tier player in the Blue Jackets lineup since entering the NHL in the 2017-18 season. He currently has been working on the top line in Columbus with former Sabres first round pick in 2012, Mikhail Grigorenko on the left wing and Cam Atkinson on the right side. He certainly is capable of being a top-line center for most teams around the NHL, or, at worst, a second-line center.
With his value being so highly regarded in Columbus and around the NHL, dictating his value on the trade market is going to be interesting as the days go on.
"It could be one-for-one. It depends on the status of that player [going back in the deal]," Dreger said. "What are we talking about here? If [Winnipeg Jets winger] Patrik Laine doesn't get it done, what gets it done from Buffalo? I think it has to be a plug-and-play player, so a top young forward, and then it depends on the rest of the package."
The Sabres could add a player of Dubois pedigree to the lineup, with him being an exceptional playmaker down the middle. He could be a viable option to slide into the No. 2 center role, currently occupied by Eric Staal, right behind captain Jack Eichel.
The question for Buffalo, if they continue to pursue a potential deal with Columbus, is what can the team offer in return for a player like Dubois. The asking price could be on the higher side, so what would Adams be willing to give up in order to acquire a player who could make the team much better down the middle of the roster?
As for the shift in question, as alluded to earlier, Dreger says that an effort like that left Tortorella no option but to bench his No. 1 center early in the contest. With this situation just adding on to the pile, Dreger said he wouldn't be surprised if a deal doesn't happen sooner rather than later.
But would this benching of Dubois be a piece that a team could use to be able to lower the asking price and get a better deal?
"I don't think so, because you have to measure the body of work, and also because it involves John Tortorella," Dreger responded. "I think the interested clubs out there have been after [Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen] on Pierre-Luc Dubois, and this isn't going to change their position.
"Maybe they use it, tactically, to say, 'I was willing to give you this piece and I was willing to talk about adding that piece or pieces, but I think we have to change it here a little bit. I am absorbing some risk. I can't get the player that we saw last night drift around on the ice that didn't have a care in the world. I need to know that I'm getting the player that we originally started talking about.' Now, the general manager in question would know that he's getting a high-quality player in Pierre-Luc Dubois. He would only be using tactically to try and lessen whatever the ask is from Jarmo Kekäläinen. But Jarmo also knows that he's got a premium asset here. I doubt very much that it's going to have much of a negative impact."
Interestingly enough, Dubois was back on the ice on Friday for the team's practice in Columbus and spoke with the media following the team session. When asked about being surprised about the benching and whether his wanting to be traded has affected his play, Dubois steered away from that and just said that he knows he has to be better.
"As hockey players, we all want to be out there. We all want to be able to help the team make a difference. I can acknowledge that I can be better. I can be a better player," Dubois said. "I haven't had the start of the season that I wanted, and as a hockey player, it's just in us to want to help the team win and be out there and help our teammates."
So far this season in five games played, Dubois has just one goal on seven shots, while averaging just 14:31 of total ice-time.
The Blue Jackets will next play on Saturday afternoon when they wrap up their series with the Lightning at Nationwide Arena at 2 p.m. EST.