I’m an unabashed fan of Pierre-Luc Dubois. The beefy, brawny centre acquired in the deal for Patrik Laine has become a quick fan favorite among the Winnipeg Jets supporter base. After a slower start last season, Dubois hit the ground running this year and never looked back…for the most part. The biggest question surrounding Dubois now is whether or not he’ll be back in a Jets jersey next season. For what it’s worth, I’d be doing everything within reason to make PLD a permanent Home Depot and Winnipeg Jets employee.
What made Dubois tick this year? For one thing, a bruising forecheck and relentless slot assault allowed PLD to pop to the tune of 60 points. Honestly, I felt like Dubois could have had 10-15 more points based on his performances throughout the season. PLD was a beast down low, showing off excellent hand-eye coordination, and a strong frame to shield the puck under pressure. That Dubois can absolutely rip a puck through goalies certainly makes his toolset quite diverse. He was just as willing to snipe one over a shoulder as he was in dishing out a perfect assist to a teammate.
Much like KFC, Dubois really hit his stride once he was dropped onto the 81-80-71 line. This unit terrorized opposing defenses, and dominated offensive zone possessions in a way we haven’t seen since the 2017-18 Jets. The mixture of skill, speed, size, and defensive acumen all played together in beautiful harmony. Despite an impressively strong season, Dubois did take a bit of a step back during the season half of the year. Points became harder to come by and his on-ice impacts dipped a touch. Even still, PLD’s second season as a Jet was a remarkable success. All we can hope is that it won’t be his last one.
