Bruins Named Potential Candidate For Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney admitted in the organization’s end-of-season news conference that changes likely are coming, and it would not be a surprise if Boston looked at all possible options.

The situation in Winnipeg could be one to monitor. Pierre-Luc Dubois’s camp informed the Jets he is not interested in signing a one-year deal, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun on Wednesday. It’s unlikely the Jets extend the 24-year-old, and he will give the organization a list of teams he’d be willing to sign an extension within a trade, according to The Athletic’s Murat Ates on Friday.

Dubois will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, but The Athletic pointed out how Winnipeg wants to ensure it remains a playoff contender and likely doesn’t want to deal with a holdout, so general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will look at all of his team’s options.

“My understanding is that all roads lead to a Dubois trade,” Artes wrote. “I believe that the process of trade exploration has begun and that there is optimism that a trade will be consummated before the end of the draft on June 28 and 29 in Nashville.”

The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers were among teams The Athletic listed as potential landing spots for the third overall pick of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. And the Bruins also were viewed as a potential candidate.

“Patrice Bergeron’s emotional playoff exit was heartbreaking to watch from afar,” Artes said. “Many interpreted it to be a sign that the widely respected Bruins captain was on the precipice of retirement. If — and that’s still an if — Bergeron is done, it stands to reason that Boston will go searching for a replacement.

“That said, even in the scenario wherein Bergeron retires, Boston would have roughly $5 million in cap space to work with and six surefire NHL forwards on its roster. The amount of salary-cap acrobatics required to move Dubois to one of Montreal’s biggest historical rivals adds to the unlikelihood. Still, the city would be close to home for Dubois and Boston has been aggressive enough with top players to believe the Bruins would be creative if all of this unlikelihood came together just right.”

As Artes noted, Bergeron’s future in Boston is up in the air. Sweeney and president Cam Neely were willing to give Bergeron and David Krejci as much time as they needed to make a decision for the 2023-24 season.

The Bruins also have other matters to look into, like determining which members of the team’s young core will be kept for the long haul. But Dubois would be an ambitious piece to add and potentially could be a valuable member in the short-term and long-term. The eight-year forward scored a career-high 63 points this past season and has proven himself to be a quality top-six forward.

His ability on the power play also would be a benefit, and his physicality is an ideal fit under head coach Jim Montgomery. Dubois is not a pressing need for the Bruins, and if Bergeron and/or Krejci return, then Boston should focus on other priorities, but it certainly presents another option for the front office as it hopes to shake off a disappointing postseason campaign.