REPORT | The Jets will have to move one of their young star again
The Jets had kicked off their season quite nicely under their new bench boss Rich Bowness, but things have cooled off since then. One thing that's been bugging every Jets fans' mind is the situation with Pier-Luc Dubois.
The star centerman and the pending restricted free agent is yet again in the middle of trade rumors. He was already a centerpiece in the trade that sent Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to Columbus and yet, at only 25, he's already involved in talks to be a part of another blockbuster deal.
There's no doubt anymore that his wishes are to be sent elsewhere and the ongoing belief is that he wants to reunite with the team he grew up close to the Montreal Canadiens. Elliotte Friedman made quite the statement in that regard on his podcast:
The Jets are in a tough spot because the young centerman will be contract-less on July 1st, 2023 (RFA), and a UFA on July 1st, 2024. Dubois will only sign a one-year deal with the team putting the Jets at risk of losing him freely in free agency.
The Canadiens will surely be interested in acquiring his services and they will have three options to acquire PLD.
1. They could offer sheet the upcoming RFA a one-year deal, in doing so, the Jets could match the offer but they would lose their trading rights since you can't trade a player in the first year of an offer-sheet deal. Meaning he'll definitely hit free agency and there's nothing the Jets can do about it, losing him for nothing.
2. They could wait for PLD to hit the free-agency market in the Summer of 2024, a which point he'll be free to choose the team he wishes to sign with.
3. The Canadiens and the Jets could come to a trade agreement as soon as this summer. The Jets would lose their second-line centerman for the upcoming season while their core is at a point where they're a cup contender, but a least they'd be getting a decent return instead of losing him for nothing.
While the Canadiens have been determined as the top destination for the 24-year-old centerman, could the Canucks be tempted to make a bid for his services? Young, big, and strong, he'd surely make a heck of a player to have behind Pettersson and would allow Tocchet to put Miller on the wing.
It's the second in the last few years that an elite-level young player is forcing the Jets' hand into a trade, not too long ago the Jets' were forced to trade Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic since they wanted nothing to do with the team. Perhaps it's time they start investigating and eliminate the problem.
Dubois is a 6'3'' and 220 pounds left-handed centerman, he was the 3rd Overall Selection in the 2016 Draft, behind only Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine. This year, he's managed 58 points in 68 outings, he's been a consistent 20 goals scorer and could even take it up a notch as he enters his prime years.
| POLL | ||
Should the Canucks make a bid for PLD? | ||
| Yes, he's a great player | 16 | 17 % |
| No, he'll never sign an extension anyway | 65 | 69.1 % |
| If the price is low enough, acquire him as a renta | 13 | 13.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
