Dubois traded to Kings by Jets, gets 8-year, $68 million contract

Pierre-Luc Dubois was traded to the Los Angeles Kings by the Winnipeg Jets on June 27 for forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

The 25-year-old forward, who could have become a restricted free agent July 1, then signed an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) with Los Angeles.

"First, my dream is to win the Stanley Cup, and I look at the organization, I look at the players, the whole roster, the staff and everybody, and I see that opportunity. And that's something that really, really excited me from the start when we saw that L.A. could be an option," Dubois said. "… We're hockey players. Our job is to play and to compete on the ice and win hockey games, but you also go home. You also have time away from the rink, and the city of LA -- I've always been on the East Coast, I've always had the winters and I've always had the snow, but to be able to be in the city of LA is also something that really excites me. Eight years is a long time, but there's absolutely no doubt in my mind this is a great decision. This is the right decision for me to make."

Dubois had NHL career highs in assists (36) and points (63) in 73 regular-season games this season, and four points (two goals, two assists) in five Stanley Cup Playoff games.

"Pierre-Luc Dubois is an elite two-way center with a unique skill set, and we're excited to have him join the organization and commit to us long term," Kings general manager Rob Blake said. "Over the last few seasons, he has proven the ability to contribute to all facets of the game, and we are thrilled to be able to add a player of this caliber into our lineup."

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Selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the No. 3 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, Dubois has 302 points (129 goals, 173 assists) in 434 regular-season games for the Blue Jackets and Jets, and 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 38 playoff games. He was traded to Winnipeg by Columbus on Jan. 23, 2021, for forwards Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic.

Los Angeles (47-25-10) finished third in the Pacific Division this season before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in six games in the Western Conference First Round.

"I saw an opportunity with the LA Kings that to me was like a dream come true," Dubois said. "With this organization, to be able to play with this team, to get to work and play with some players that I looked up to when I was a kid, I think it's going to be a really fun experience.

"The opportunity to play with two centers like [Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault] is something I'm really looking forward to. Obviously, I've played six years in the NHL now, but I still have a lot, a lot, a lot to learn, and those are two guys, you look at the way they play the game in every aspect, offensively, defensively, on face-offs, I think for me and the position I'm in, it's really an unbelievable opportunity to get to know them on and off the ice, to get to work with them to see how they practice and their detail and all that. But when it comes to where it all goes, I didn't get into those conversations yet with anybody."

Vilardi, 23, is coming off his best season in the NHL, getting 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) in 63 regular-season games and four points (two goals, two assists) in five playoff games. Selected by the Kings with the No. 11 pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, Vilardi has 78 points (41 goals, 37 assists) in 152 regular-season games.

"Yeah, more opportunity, obviously," Villardi said Wednesday. "Last year I kind of played more of a bottom-six role. Hopefully I just want to keep growing my game and getting better, and obviously helping the Jets however that is. I'm just excited to kind of get going there."

Iafallo, 29, had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 59 regular-season games and four points (three goals, one assist) in six playoff games. He has 204 points (85 goals, 119 assists) in 420 regular-season games and nine points (five goals, four assists) in 16 postseason games since signing with the Kings as an undrafted free agent on April 19, 2017.

"It was definitely a big change, I've never been traded before, but at the end of the day I'm definitely excited to be a Jet," Iafallo said. "I know a couple of guys on the team already and that will make that adjustment easier. Obviously, 'Gabe' and 'Kup' are coming with me, so I'm excited. I heard a lot of good things."

Kupari, 23, had 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 66 regular-season games and no points in six playoff games. A first-round pick (No. 20) by the Kings in the 2018 NHL Draft, Kupari has 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 130 regular-season games.

"On behalf of the entire LA Kings organization, we would like to thank Alex, Rasmus and Gabriel for their immense contributions both on and off the ice," Kings president Luc Robitaille said. "Their efforts over the last few seasons on the ice, as well as with fans and throughout the community, have made a substantial mark on our franchise, and we wish them all continued success in their future."

The Jets (46-33-3) qualified for the playoffs as the second wild card from the Western Conference after stumbling down the stretch, going 15-17-2 in their final 34 games after leading the conference on Jan. 22, when they were 31-16-1. Winnipeg lost in the first round in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Several of the Jets' core players can become unrestricted free agents at the end of next season, including goalie Connor Hellebuyck, forwards Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Nino Niederreiter, and defensemen Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo.

"I can't tell you what's going to happen or what needs to happen, but I'm guessing that something is going to happen, yes," Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers told NHL.com on May 19 at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.

NHL.com independent correspondent Dan Greenspan contributed to this report