Pierre-Luc Dubois could be bought out but only if the Cup is won early

When the Los Angeles Kings acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets, it was supposed to be the start of something special. The Kings immediately signed Dubois to an 8-year max term deal paying him $8,500,000 per season. Unfortunately the elation from the trade quickly turned to dismay as his season quickly got off the rails.

In 82 games, Dubois put up the worst season of his professional career. This season he scored just 16 goals and added 24 assists, for just 40 points. Probably even more concerning was the compete level, or lack thereof for Dubois on important nights. During the playoffs Dubois was once again a non-factor scoring 1 goal in 5 games.

Rumors have already begun to swirl that Dubois could become one of the biggest buyouts in NHL history, just one year into his deal. While many people probably wonder, why would the LA Kings do that? Well, due to Dubois' age he is eligible for the rare 1/3 buyout rate which would cost them significantly less per season according to Cap Friendly .




The only problem for the Kings? All of this changes if the Stanley Cup isn't handed out 48 hours before Dubois' birthday on June 24th.



This NHL's buyout window does not begin until 48 hours after the season concludes which could make this entire situation tricky for the Kings. Only time will tell which route they choose to go. Will they allow Dubois another season or is the risk not worth the reward?