When the Washington Capitals traded goalie Darcy Kuemper to the Los Angeles Kings for a center Pierre-Luc Duboisthey solved two problems at once – at least in their minds.
Kuemper, a pricey unrestricted free agent signed in 2022, was dominated by Charlie Lindgren and relegated to the backup role after having his worst professional season in 2023-24. Kuemper had three seasons remaining with a $5.25 million cap hit on his contract and seemingly no future with the team.
Meanwhile, Dubois, the third overall pick in 2016, struggled against huge expectations in Los Angeles, posting just 40 points (16, 24a) in 82 games. The 6-foot-4, 25-year-old center signed an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) ahead of the year that covers the 2030-31 season.
“I don’t think I’ve done a good enough job fitting him into the right roles on the team here this year,” Los Angeles general manager Rob Blake said of Dubois. “You know, I think it didn’t really suit us in that aspect, and we’ll take responsibility for that.”
With Dubois now on the roster, the Capitals have an elite player they have coveted for years, as well as a top center who will help the team better position themselves up the middle. At his best, Dubois recorded three 60-plus point seasons during his seven years in the NHL and scored 20 or more goals four times.
Dylan Strome, who is an efficient point producer and power play contributor, posted career highs in goals (27) and points (67) in 2023-24, but finished on the team’s third line. team under Spencer Carbery. The 27-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario would likely benefit more playing in a more protected role in the middle six due to his lack of elite skating and defense.
Then there are the young centers, Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre, who have both shown promise and flashes of brilliance at the NHL level, but continue to grow as players. McMichael would likely occupy the second or third center spot. The acquisition of Dubois also gives Lapierre more runway to develop without pressure – whether in the NHL or AHL.
“I don’t want to get too much into the floor and management stuff, but to expect Connor McMichael to become Brayden Point, I don’t think it’s fair,” said the Washington head coach. Capitals Spencer Carbery at the end of the year. “Scoring 40 goals and being a 100-point guy, I just don’t think it’s fair. Am I saying Connor can’t do that? I can only say I expect he and Lappy score a hundred points, they are very, very unique players.
“We’ll see where their path goes and we’ll help them develop and grow and that’s my job.” Can they have 25-30 goals? Can they play third, second line? Yes, I think they can and if they really do break out maybe it’s not too unrealistic, but I just think we need to be careful and temper expectations. Just because someone is picked in the first round (they’re not), it’s going to be Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, or Artemi Panarin.
Nic Dowd, who has long been the team’s defensive center, looks set to anchor the fourth line again next season. Dowd could be entering his final year with the Capitals as his three-year pact ends in 2024-25 ($1.3 AAV). Dowd’s name has been popping up in trade rumors since the start of last season and it’s possible he could be traded at the 2025 trade deadline.
Heading into next year, the Capitals depth chart at center could look like this – if no other changes occur this offseason. Strome or Lapierre could end up on the wing when the team drops the puck for next season.
Center Depth Chart
- Pierre-Luc Dubois
- Dylan Strome
- Connor McMichael
- Nicholas Dowd
- Hendrix Lapierre
Dumper Kumper also helps the Capitals position themselves better in net. Charlie Lindgren has been stellar as the team’s starter in 2023-24, posting a 25-16-7 record with a 2.67 goals-against average, .911 save percentage, and 6 shutouts. Lindgren stopped 10.5 goals above expectations – good for 16th in the NHL – while Kuemper was in the negative (-4.8; 75th out of 83 goalies).
The move opens up the backup spot in Washington where the Capitals could either draft a veteran or give an opportunity to Hunter Shepard, who seems to have accomplished everything possible with the Hershey Bears.
Shepard was the 2023 AHL playoff MVP after leading the Hershey Bears to their 12th Calder Cup. He followed that up in 2023-24 by being named the AHL’s Most Outstanding Goaltender during the regular season and led the Bears to a second straight appearance in the Calder Cup Final.
Shepard was 2-1-1 in his first four career starts for the Caps. His best game came on November 11, 2023, when he stopped 36 of 37 shots against the New York Islanders.
The Capitals also have prospect goaltender Clay Stevenson, who led the AHL in shutouts with 7 as a rookie and could be the NHL team’s goaltender of the future.
The Capitals signed Stevenson to a three-year extension worth $2.325 million in December 2023 and, if Shepard is in Washington, that would allow him to receive the bulk of the AHL work next year.
Harvard grad Mitch Gibson shined in his two appearances in net for Hershey, going 2-0 with a 1.92 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.
Goaltending Depth Chart
- Charlie Lindgren
- Hunter Shepard
- Clay Stevenson
- Mitch Gibson
- Garin Bjorklund
Trading Dubois is a big gamble. Rightly or wrongly, the French-Canadian center player has a reputation for being difficult to coach. His tenure – seven years at $8.5 million per season – represents a huge commitment, especially for a Capitals team that is reorganizing for the future and finding a new identity.
But elite centers don’t grow on trees and that’s the decision that presented itself. With just over a week until the NHL Draft and NHL free agency, the Capitals can now focus on acquiring another top-six forward, likely on the wing, with TJ Oshie potentially unable to return next season.
When Brian MacLellan first took over from George McPhee, he signed Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik to aggressive contracts. These huge transactions were also risky. But those moonshots helped solidify the team’s backcourt and change the trajectory of the Capitals for years to come.
Will the arrival of Dubois have the same effect? It’s not clear, but clearly, for MacLellan, it was a risk worth taking.