When the Washington Capitals traded for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois in June, they hoped another change in scenery would kick-start his career and help him reach his potential.
Well, 62 games into his tenure in the nation's capital and that gamble seems to be starting to pay off.
Dubois notched goals in back-to-back games Monday and Wednesday, the latest of which gave him his 53rd point of the season. He's now just 10 from matching his career best (63) with 20 games remaining.
Dubois' production has aided Washington immensely in finding itself solidly in first place in the Eastern Conference (88 points) and currently the best team in the league.
Head coach Spencer Carbery spoke highly of his team's latest addition on Wednesday ahead of the eventual 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Rangers where Dubois notched a score.
"He’s got a lot of similarities when I look at him like a [Aleksander] Barkov," he told reporters. "I think by his time — over the next few years, he’ll be in that Selke [Trophy] conversation."
Aleksander Barkov, captain of the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, has recorded less than 50 points only twice in his career, so that's quite the comparison Carbery is making.
The Selke Trophy is awarded to the NHL's best defensive forward. Dubois has featured heavily on Washington's top penalty kill unit this season and boasts a plus-22 rating, by far the highest of his career.
Barkov has won the Selke twice (2021 and 2024), leaving yet another high standard for Dubois to reach for.
Dubois, picked third overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, is proving he can still reach the potential he was scouted as having. It's a small sample size but perhaps Washington is exactly the change of scenery he needed to unlock it.
