When the Washington Capitals traded goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Los Angeles Kings for centerman Pierre-Luc Dubois, they solved two issues directly — at the least of their minds.
Kuemper, an costly unrestricted free agent signing in 2022, was outplayed by Charlie Lindgren and relegated to backup after having his worst season professional in 2023-24. Kuemper had three seasons remaining with a $5.25 million cap hit on his contract and seemingly no future with the group.
In the meantime, Dubois, the quantity three general decide in 2016, struggled underneath big expectations in LA, posting solely 40 factors (16, 24a) in 82 video games. The 6-foot-4, 25-year-old pivot signed an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) earlier than the yr that runs via the 2030-31 season.
“I don’t suppose I did a ok job of integrating him in the proper roles on the group right here this yr,” Los Angeles common supervisor Rob Blake mentioned of Dubois. “, I believe it wasn’t an amazing slot in that side for us, and we’ll take accountability for that.”
With Dubois now on the roster, the Capitals have an elite participant they’ve coveted for years, in addition to a top-line heart that may assist the group slot higher up the center. At his finest, Dubois has posted three 60-plus level seasons throughout his seven years within the NHL and tallied 20 or extra targets 4 totally different occasions.
Dylan Strome, who’s an efficient level producer and power-play contributor, posted profession highs in targets (27) and factors (67) in 2023-24 however completed on the group’s third line underneath Spencer Carbery. The 27-year-old Mississauga, Ontario native arguably can be extra of a net-positive enjoying in additional of a protected center six position as a result of his lack of elite skating and protection.
Then there are younger pivots, Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre, who’ve each proven promise and flashes of brilliance on the NHL stage however are nonetheless rising as gamers. McMichael would seemingly seize the second or third heart spot. The acquisition of Dubois additionally offers Lapierre extra runway to develop with out stress — both within the NHL or AHL.
“I don’t need to get an excessive amount of into the upstairs and administration stuff however to thrust and anticipate Connor McMichael to turn out to be Brayden Level, I don’t suppose that’s truthful,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery mentioned on the finish of the yr. “To attain 40 targets and be a 100-point man – I simply don’t suppose that’s truthful. Am I saying that Connor can’t do this? I’m not however to say and anticipate him and Lappy to be hundred-point scorers, these are very, very distinctive gamers.
“We’ll see the place their path goes and we’ll assist them develop and develop and that’s my job. Can they be 25-30 objective guys? Can they play third, second line? Yeah, I believe they’ll and in the event that they actually pop perhaps that isn’t too unrealistic however I simply suppose we now have to watch out and mood expectations. Simply because somebody is picked within the first spherical [they aren’t] going to be Brayden Level or Nikita Kucherov or Artemi Panarin.”
Nic Dowd, who has lengthy been the group’s defensive shutdown heart, seems slated to anchor the fourth line once more subsequent season. Dowd might be getting into his ultimate yr with the Capitals as his three-year pact concludes in 2024-25 ($1.3 AAV). Dowd’s title has come up in commerce rumors because the begin of final season and it’s attainable he might be dealt on the 2025 commerce deadline.
Heading into subsequent yr, the Capitals’ depth chart at heart might seem like this — if no different adjustments occur within the offseason. Strome or Lapierre might find yourself at wing when the group drops the puck for subsequent season.
Heart depth chart
- Pierre-Luc Dubois
- Dylan Strome
- Connor McMichael
- Nic Dowd
- Hendrix Lapierre
Dumping Kumper additionally helps the Capitals slot higher in internet, too. Charlie Lindgren was sensible because the group’s starter in 2023-24, posting a 25-16-7 report with a 2.67 targets towards common, a .911 save share, and 6 shutouts. Lindgren stopped 10.5 targets above anticipated — good for sixteenth finest within the NHL — whereas Kuemper was within the damaging (-4.8; seventy fifth out of 83 goaltenders).
The transfer opens up the backup spot in DC the place the Capitals might both signal a veteran or give a chance to Hunter Shepard, who appears to have completed every part attainable with the Hershey Bears.
Shepard was the AHL’s Playoff MVP in 2023 after main the Hershey Bears to their twelfth Calder Cup. He adopted that up in 2023-24 by being named the AHL’s most excellent goaltender in the course of the common season and has led the Bears to a second consecutive Calder Cup Finals look.
Shepard went 2-1-1 in his first 4 profession begins for the Caps. His finest sport got here on November 11, 2023, when he stopped 36 of 37 pictures towards the New York Islanders.
The Capitals even have prospect goaltender Clay Stevenson, who led the AHL in shutouts with 7 as a rookie and might be the NHL group’s goaltender of the longer term.
The Capitals signed Stevenson to a three-year, $2.325 million extension in December 2023 and, if Shepard is in Washington, that will enable him to obtain a bulk of the work within the AHL subsequent yr.
Harvard graduate Mitch Gibson sparkled in his two appearances in internet for Hershey, going 2-0 and posting a 1.92 targets towards common and 0.915 save share.
Goaltender depth chart
- Charlie Lindgren
- Hunter Shepard
- Clay Stevenson
- Mitch Gibson
- Garin Bjorklund
The Dubois commerce is an enormous gamble. Rightly or wrongly, the French Canadian centerman has a popularity for being troublesome to educate. His time period — seven years at $8.5 million per season — is a big dedication, particularly for a Capitals’ group that’s retooling for the longer term and discovering a brand new identification.
However elite facilities don’t develop on bushes and this was the transfer that introduced itself. With a little bit over every week till the NHL Draft and NHL free company, the Capitals can now give attention to attempting to accumulate one other top-six ahead, seemingly at wing, with TJ Oshie probably unable to return subsequent season.
When Brian MacLellan first took over for George McPhee, he made the aggressive signings of Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. These big offers have been dangerous, too. However these moonshots helped solidify the group’s backend and adjusted the trajectory of the Capitals for years to return.
Will Dubois’s arrival do the identical factor? It’s unclear, however clearly, to MacLellan, it was a danger price taking.