Report: Kings closing in on trade for Pierre-Luc Dubois

For the Kings, adding Dubois is in large part about succession planning for the eventual end of incumbent number-one center Anze Kopitar’s playing career.

Kopitar, 35, scored 74 points and showed no real signs of slowing down this past season, but with his contract set to expire next summer, his future is becoming more and more of a team focus.

A top-of-the-lineup number-one center might just be the hardest thing to acquire in the NHL, and given the slower-than-expected development of 2020 second-overall pick Quinton Byfield, Dubois represents perhaps the best chance the Kings have at finding a franchise face for when Kopitar’s playing days are over.

Dubois and Kopitar are represented by the same agent, CAA’s Pat Brisson, so that relationship could aid the Kings in their efforts to lock up Dubois as their next star forward.

It’s still up for debate whether Dubois is a true number-one center in the NHL. He scored 63 points in 77 games this past season and has certainly shown flashes of greatness, but he has also left fans wanting more at both NHL stops in his career.

In the immediate term, Dubois would be an exceptional complement to Kopitar in the team’s top-six, and would shift Phillip Danault into a third-line center role. Danault, who scored 54 points last season and is among the league’s most well-respected defensive centers, would instantly become arguably the league’s top third-line pivot and their new arrangement would give the Kings some of the best center depth in the NHL.

Seeing as Dubois has been rumored to be seeking a maximum-term contract extension that mirrors the the $8.7M contract Dylan Larkin received from the Detroit Red Wings, it’s clear the Kings believe in Dubois’ potential to be Kopitar’s successor. All that’s left now is for the team to complete the deal and for Dubois to prove them right on the ice next season.

For the Jets, this trade is about moving forward from a player who didn’t see a long-term future for himself in Winnipeg and getting the best possible return for the one year left of control they have over Dubois’ services. While a trade has yet to be completed and the rumored return centering around Iafallo and Vilardi is still just that, a rumor, Vilardi’s presence as a centerpiece player reveals the Jets’ priorities in their trade negotiations.

Despite facing quite a few significant departures in the next few weeks, the Jets remain committed to building around established stars such as Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey.

Getting Vilardi and inking him to a long-term contract would add another building block to the mix, especially after Vilardi’s breakout 2022-23 campaign where he scored 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games. While Vilardi has been a winger at the NHL level, he does have some prior experience playing center and the Jets could be planning on trying Vilardi down the middle again if they do end up acquiring him.