Pierre-Luc Dubois played his first game in a Washington Capitals jersey on Tuesday night, suiting up for a 4-2 preseason loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday night.
But despite the defeat, the 26-year-old reacted positively ahead of his first taste of Eastern Conference hockey since he was a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets over three years ago.
“It’s not the regular season, but it’s a step towards that and it’s a step towards good habits, a step towards winning hockey games,” Dubois said before the game, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.
“Scrimmages are fine, but there’s nothing like a preseason game against other teams. You’re not as scared to shoot the puck. You’re not as scared to get in it physically. So it’s exciting.”
Dubois managed an assist in the contest, also going 7-for-15 on faceoffs while seeing just over 13 minutes of ice time. It was the Quebec native’s first game since his last team, the Los Angeles Kings, were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
After a really tough season in California — which was exacerbated considering he had signed a massive eight-year, $68 million contract after being traded from the Winnipeg Jets — he was shipped to the nation’s capital this summer.
Dubois was involved in a one-for-one swap that sent goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Kings on June 19. And with a new team and in a new system, Dubois is looking to bounce back in a big way with a revamped Caps squad.
Pierre-Luc Dubois looking for much better season with Capitals
“I don’t think there’s any time for anybody to feel sorry about themselves,” Dubois told reporters shortly after the trade. “You learn in the hockey world teams will do what they think is better for their team, and there’s no hard feelings. For me, I could take it multiple ways, but I’m choosing to take it as extra motivation and to just get myself ready for next season.”
It’ll be another fresh start for Dubois in 2024-25, and after a miserable offensive campaign, it looks like there’s nowhere to go but up this season. He recorded just 16 goals and 40 points over a full 82-game season, the worst totals of the former No. 3 overall pick’s career.
Dubois should benefit from playing with Dylan Strome; the two were roomates on Canada’s World Junior Hockey Championship team in 2017.
“I’m sure that we’ll push each other, and he’ll teach me what he’s learned already,” Dubois said of his new potential linemate. “To be able to play with him again will be really fun and get to know him again. Obviously, we’re in different stages in life, but it’ll be exciting.”
The Capitals are Dubois’ third team in three seasons dating back to 2021; he’s now been a member of the Blue Jackets, Jets, Kings and Capitals since breaking into the league in 2017-18.
Although Kings general manager Rob Blake took some responsibility for Dubois “not being put in the right roles and the situation not being a great fit,” it doesn’t change the fact that a forward making $8.5 million AAV should be good for much more than 40 points.
It’ll be intriguing to see if the former star forward can find his game in Washington — and how the team will fare with a couple other key additions this season.
