When the Washington Capitals traded goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Los Angeles Kings for center Pierre-Luc DuboisThey solved two problems at once, at least in their minds.
Kuemper, an expensive unrestricted free agent signing in 2022, was passed by Charlie Lindgren and relegated to the backup after having his worst professional season in 2023-24. Kuemper had three seasons with a $5.25 million cap hit left on his contract and seemingly no future with the team.
Meanwhile, Dubois, the third overall pick in 2016, struggled under high expectations in Los Angeles, scoring just 40 points (16th, 24th) in 82 games. The 6-foot-4, 25-year-old center signed an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) before the year that runs through the 2030-31 season.
“I don’t think he’s done a good job of integrating him into the right roles on the team this year,” Los Angeles general manager Rob Blake said of Dubois. “You know, I think he wasn’t a very good fit for us in that regard, 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-line center who will help the team better fit in the middle. In his prime, Dubois recorded three 60+ point seasons during his seven years in the NHL and scored 20 or more goals on four different occasions.
Dylan Strome, who is an effective 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 under Spencer Carbery. The 27-year-old Mississauga, Ontario native would arguably be more of a net positive player in a more protected middle six role due to his lack of elite skating and defense.
Then there are the young centers, Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre, who have shown promise and flashes of brilliance at the NHL level, but are still growing as players. McMichael would probably take the second or third center spot. The acquisition of Dubois also gives Lapierre more opportunities to develop without pressure, whether in the NHL or AHL.
“I don’t want to get too much into the senior and administrative stuff, but to push and expect Connor McMichael to become Brayden Point, I don’t think that’s fair,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said late in the year. “Scoring 40 goals and being a 100-point player I don’t think is fair. Am I saying Connor can’t do that? I shouldn’t say and expect him and Lappy to be hundred point scorers, those are very, very unique players.
“We’ll see where their path goes and help them develop and grow, and that’s my job. Can they have between 25 and 30 goals? Can they play on the third or second line? Yes, I think they can and if they really blow up, maybe it’s not too unrealistic, but I think we need to be careful and temper expectations. Just because someone is picked in the first round it won’t be Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov or Artemi Panarin.”
Nic Dowd, who has long been the team’s defensive center, appears destined to anchor the fourth line again next season. Dowd could be entering his final year with the Capitals when his three-year pact ends in 2024-25 ($1.3 AAV). Dowd’s name has been in trade rumors since the start of last season and it’s possible he could be traded at the 2025 trade deadline.
Looking ahead to next year, the Capitals’ center roster could look like this, if no other changes occur during the offseason. Strome or Lapierre could end up on the wing when the team releases the puck for next season.
Center Depth Chart
Giving up Kumper also helps the Capitals get better at net. Charlie Lindgren was brilliant as the team’s starter in 2023-24, posting a 25-16-7 record with a 2.67 goals against average, a .911 save percentage, and 6 shutouts. Lindgren stopped 10.5 goals more than expected, good for 16th in the NHL, while Kuemper was negative (-4.8; 75th of 83 goalies).
The move opens up the backup spot in DC where the Capitals could sign a veteran or take a chance on Hunter Shepard, who appears to have accomplished everything possible with the Hershey Bears.
Shepard was the AHL playoff MVP in 2023 after leading the Hershey Bears to their 12th Calder Cup. He followed up in 2023-24 by being named the AHL’s Most Outstanding Goaltender during the regular season and led the Bears to a second consecutive appearance in the Calder Cup Finals.
Shepard went 2-1-1 in the first four starts of his career with 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 goalie prospect 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, $2.325 million extension in December 2023, and if Shepard is in Washington, that would allow him to receive the bulk of the work in the AHL next year.
Harvard graduate 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.
Goalie Depth Chart
The Dubois trade is a big bet. Rightly or wrongly, the French-Canadian centre-back has a reputation for being difficult to coach. His tenure (seven years at $8.5 million per season) is a big commitment, especially for a Capitals team that is restructuring for the future and finding a new identity.
But elite centers do not grow on trees and this was the measure that was presented. With just over a week until the NHL Draft and NHL free agency, the Capitals can now focus on trying to acquire another top-six forward, likely on the wing, with TJ Oshie potentially unable to return next season .
When Brian MacLellan first replaced George McPhee, he made the aggressive signings of Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. Those big deals were also risky. But those moonshots helped solidify the team’s backend and changed the trajectory of the Capitals for years to come.
Will Dubois’ arrival do the same? It’s not clear, but it’s clear that for MacLellan it was a risk worth taking.
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