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Pierre-Luc Dubois

Blue Jackets Notes: Gavrikov, Bjorkstrand, Dubois

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have had quite the offseason. GM Jarmo Kekalainen landed the consensus top player available on the free agent market, Johnny Gaudreau, and locked his superstar sniper, Patrik Laine, into a four-year deal to stay in Columbus. With the signing of Erik Gudbranson also on the books, the Blue Jackets have been left in an unfamiliar position: without any salary cap room. The team does have Gustav Nyquist’s $5.5MM contract coming off the books next summer, and it looks like we may already have a good idea as to who a good chunk of those funds will be re-allocated to next summer. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, (subscription link) the Blue Jackets “would like to get” defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov “signed long-term” to an extension.

It’s easy to see why the Blue Jackets would want to retain Gavrikov, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Gavrikov was the clear number-two defenseman on the Blue Jackets, handling over 22 difficult minutes per night. Gavrikov was also a highly-trusted penalty killer, and he anchored the Blue Jackets’ penalty kill operation alongside Andrew Peeke. The 26-year-old Russian also took a step forward on the offensive side of the game, ending the season with a healthy 33 points despite playing barely any time on the team’s power play. Gavrikov is among the league’s most underrated all-around defensemen and his overall profile should see a boost once his (likely lucrative) next contract hits the books.

Now, for some other notes regarding the Blue Jackets:

  • While the Blue Jackets’ trade of Oliver Bjorkstrand wasn’t ideal for management, the player, or the Blue Jackets fans, it was necessary. Kekalainen said dealing Bjorkstrand to Seattle was “the best of the no-good options,” and today, Portzline shed some light as to why that was the case. With the flat cap driving the prices to dump contracts to sky-high levels, Portzline believes that if the Blue Jackets preferred to shed Nyquist’s contract, it likely could have cost a 2023 first-round pick or even a top prospect. If the Blue Jackets wanted to trade Jakub Voracek and his $8.25MM cap hit over two more seasons, Portzline believes it may have even cost both a first-rounder and a top prospect. So, with that reality in mind, Bjorkstrand being the departing player rather than Nyquist or Voracek makes a bit more sense.
  • One name Blue Jackets fans have moved on from is that of their 2016 third-overall pick, Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets sent him to Winnipeg in exchange for Laine and Jack Roslovic, and with Laine locked up long-term and Roslovic authoring productive seasons in Columbus, it seems both the fanbase and organization are satisfied with the deal. The one person who hasn’t been satisfied, seemingly, is Dubois, who has made his desire to play in Montreal no secret. According to Portzline, Dubois has “twice gone into a summer wanting” the Canadiens to submit an offer sheet for his services, and it seems that the Blue Jackets were even “tipped off” about the possibility of an offer sheet in 2020 when they dealt Markus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray for minimal returns in order to clear cap space. Dubois recently accepted a one-year qualifying offer, meaning the offer sheet possibility is now off the table, but with Dubois inching towards his own unrestricted free agency it’s definitely possible, if a bit unlikely, that he ends up in Montreal this summer.

Pierre-Luc Dubois Accepts Qualifying Offer

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5:10 PM: The Jets have now officially announced the extension.

3:40 PM: With his name featuring heavily in trade rumors, Pierre-Luc Dubois has taken himself one step closer to an exit from Winnipeg. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Dubois has chosen to accept his one-year, $6MM qualifying offer in advance of the upcoming deadline.

This means that Dubois has, at least for this summer, elected to not sign a long-term deal with the Jets, as many have expected. Dubois will be an unrestricted free agent in two years’ time. Dubois’ representation has communicated a desire for their client to end up playing for the Montreal Canadiens and Dubois actually attended the draft in Montreal because he believed a trade would be completed on the draft floor. That did not happen, though, so Dubois has now accepted his qualifying offer as a means of simplifying his exit from Winnipeg.

The Jets surrendered two significant players to acquire Dubois: Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic and did so because they believed a one-two punch at the center position of Dubois and Mark Scheifele would be the key to the next era of contending Jets squads.

That pairing of Dubois and Scheifele doesn’t look like it’ll remain in place for much longer, as the Jets will have to decide if they want to deal Dubois this summer or continue with him on the roster in the hopes that he changes his mind about staying in Winnipeg.

Evening Notes: Dubois, Kadri, Nill

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As today’s 5:00 pm ET deadline for teams to file for club-elected player salary arbitration came and went, the Winnipeg Jets apparently chose not to file for arbitration with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, says Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription required). The decision didn’t appear as much of a surprise given Dubois’ and the Jets’ situation, and allows both sides to continue discussing a long-term extension or perhaps explore different trade scenarios as has been speculated. Winnipeg had previously issued a $6.65MM qualifying-offer to Dubois in order to retain his rights and give both sides the ability to file for arbitration.

There are several reasons as to why the Jets may have decided not to file for arbitration with Dubois. Firstly, if contract discussions have been amicable and progressive, electing for arbitration and forcing a decision, either through negotiation or arbitration, may have served to disrupt a positive situation. Another reason could be, given the $6.65MM qualifying-offer, Winnipeg would have to file, at minimum, at that number in arbitration with the strong possibility Dubois could be awarded even more. Lastly, because Dubois is two years removed from unrestricted free agency, it was also possible an arbitrator would award the 24-year-old with a two-year contract that would carry him directly to the UFA market in 2024, something not only Winnipeg would want to avoid, but perhaps also the team they could trade him to, if they elected to go down that road.

  • According to Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, who spoke to several sources today, a return of Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche seems less likely than it had previously appeared. One of the market’s most desired players this offseason, Kadri is among the few notable UFAs who has yet to sign, with some speculating that he would like to go to a true contender, and thus those teams would have to work on making room under their salary cap, Colorado included. It’s unclear what, if anything, transpired today to shake Dater’s belief that Kadri could come back to Colorado, but it could mean that the tires are beginning to move on Kadri here on day six of free agency.
  • In a lengthy interview with The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf (subscription required), Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi touched on a number of topics concerning the state of the franchise, including what he expects from the team going forward and why new head coach Pete DeBoer was the right fit for the club. Another name that came up was that of longtime Stars GM Jim Nill, who has been in his position for over nine years now. Nill’s contract is set to expire after this season, leading to some apparent uncertainty about what is to come. Gaglardi was sure to quash that uncertainty, telling Yousuf that Nill was going to be extended. The Stars owner cautioned that what the extension looks like depends on several factors which he couldn’t discuss just yet, but was clear about what he intended for his GM. Of note, Yousuf writes that DeBoer did ask Gaglardi in his interview this summer about Nill’s future with the organization, Gaglardi providing DeBoer with the same assurances on Nill’s future. Still, an extension is a two-way street, and Nill, 64, recently mentioned that he’s “not going to do this forever.”

Offseason Notes: Dubois, Canadiens Defense, Kadri

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The full extent of the Montreal Canadiens’ offseason plans began to take shape today, as the team traded defenseman Jeff Petry and center Ryan Poehling to the Pittsburgh Penguins. One major name that many have connected to the Canadiens is that of Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois. It doesn’t take any detective work to understand why that connection is being made: Pat Brisson, Dubois’ agent, has communicated that his client would like to play in Montreal, and Dubois has reportedly communicated to the Jets that his intention is to leave as a free agent in two years time. Many have speculated, then, that the Canadiens would attempt to acquire Dubois this summer, and it appears that that sort of speculation is grounded in reality.

According to Arpon Basu of The Athletic (subscription link), Dubois attended the NHL Draft in Montreal because he “believed a trade would be completed on the draft floor.” Furthermore, Basu adds that “it is believed” that Winnipeg is “holding up a trade” because they want Montreal to include a player in the compensation package for Dubois that Montreal has no interest in moving. As we saw with the trade of Alexander Romanov to get Kirby Dach on draft night, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is willing to trade players he isn’t actively looking to deal if he believes the player he’s getting in return is worth it. Dubois is extremely talented, but as a result the player the Jets could be seeking from Montreal could be someone too important for the Canadiens to move.

Now, for some other notes on ongoing offseason activity:

  • Hughes spoke to the media today following the Petry deal, and mentioned, as relayed by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, that the Canadiens would in all likelihood be looking for a right-side defenseman to fill the hole left by Petry’s absence. Star offensive defenseman John Klingberg’s name sticks out as the best right-shot defender on the market, but he’s likely out of the Canadiens’ price range. Veteran defenseman Anton Stralman and Michael Stone are other UFA options, but neither truly inspire confidence. Perhaps the most intriguing option for the Canadiens is a possible return for P.K. Subban, who last played for the team in 2015-16. Subban maintains an active philanthropic presence in Montreal and his ties to the city have survived the many years he’s spent playing for other teams. While he may not be a long-term option for the Canadiens, his signing would definitely attract attention.
  • Nazem Kadri is perhaps the best remaining UFA on the market, although he may not be without a contract for long. According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, multiple teams are attempting to clear cap space in order to have room to sign Kadri. Kadri “wants to be on a contender” and has “ruled out” teams not considered true Stanley Cup threats. Kadri scored 28 goals and 87 points last season and just recently won the Stanley Cup. The contract he receives will likely be one of the biggest given out this offseason.

Offseason Notes: Kraken, Dubois, Gaudreau

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The Seattle Kraken made moves last summer signaling their intention to be a competitive team right from their first-ever game, just as the Vegas Golden Knights were in their first season. They signed Philipp Grubauer, Jaden Schwartz, and others in free agency, all with the idea of potentially being in the mix for a playoff spot in what was seen as a weak Pacific division. That didn’t happen, though, and the Kraken finished third-to-last in the entire NHL with a 27-49-6 record. The team only scored 216 goals, which ranked them fourth from last in the NHL, and had only one player cross the 50-point mark, Jared McCann, who had 50 points exactly. Some have speculated that this poor season would set the Kraken on the path of a more traditional rebuild, seeing them bottom out in the standings, chasing young, high-end talent. That doesn’t appear to be their preferred route to contention, though.

TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the Kraken were among the teams in the mix to acquire Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala “right until the end,” and that they are interested in utilizing their cap space in search of a “high-end forward” or someone who can add to their scoring depth. Johnston adds that he expects the Kraken to come forward with “big offers” for some of the top free-agent forwards should they become available on July 13th. The two biggest names currently slated to hit free agency are Filip Forsberg and Johnny Gaudreau, play-driving wingers who have scored at above a point-per-game pace. If the Kraken want one of those two players, they will undoubtedly have to beat the offers of a multitude of other suitors. Beyond just Forsberg and Gaudreau they could also target other names such as Evander Kane, Andre Burakovsky, or Ryan Strome.

Now, for some other notes concerning this offseason’s biggest storylines:

  • Pierre-Luc Dubois’ name has attracted a lot of attention in the rumor mill recently, as his desire to test free agency in 2024 has become public. This has led to many speculating that he will be traded this summer, so that the Winnipeg Jets could get as much long-term value out of Dubois as possible. According to Darren Dreger of TSN, a trade isn’t what’s most likely. Per Dreger, if a team such as the New York Rangers or Montreal Canadiens wants to add Dubois this summer, it will take a “very substantial offer” to get Winnipeg to agree. Dreger names a few Rangers players specifically in Filip Chytil, Braden Schneider, and Kaapo Kakko as examples of headliners in a Dubois trade, and says that it could even take “a first-round pick on top of that.” Unless an interested team can offer a lucrative package of assets headlined by players such as the aforementioned group to acquire Dubois, Dreger states that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff won’t trade Dubois this offseason.
  • Johnny Gaudreau could be the biggest name in this summer’s free-agent market, and according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, despite a major offer from the Flames, the situation with Gaudreau is unchanged. Per LeBrun, Gaudreau’s camp has “not communicated” where the contract situation is headed, and there seems to be a growing divide in terms of how Gaudreau wants to handle his free agency and what the Flames are willing to tolerate as they attempt to construct next year’s roster. LeBrun reports that Gaudreau “wants to keep the Flames in the mix” while also getting to “take a peek” at the offers from other teams on July 13th. The Flames, though, would reportedly be uncomfortable with the saga dragging on to that point, and would potentially need to begin to pivot to other options, as LeBrun puts it. Flames GM Brad Treliving has previously stated that he would move “heaven and earth” to retain Gaudreau, so it remains to be seen if “heaven and earth” includes tolerating the uncertainty of Gaudreau’s free agency in order to maintain their chance of getting his signature on an extension.

Jets Notes: Dubois, Scheifele, Coaching Search

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Ever since it was reported earlier this week that Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois had informed his team of his intentions to test free agency in 2024, it seemed likely that the Dubois storyline would be a major one for this offseason. Now, we have some additional details on Dubois’ choice regarding his future. Murat Ates of The Athletic believes that Dubois “quite sincerely” wants to test free agency, and has “not been shy” about communicating that desire to the team, as well as a desire to play in Montreal “in the long run” specifically. (subscription link)

Ates specifically mentioning Montreal confirms what many had believed about Dubois, that he had his eyes on playing in his home province. Dubois actually was almost drafted by the Canadiens at the 2016 draft, but the Blue Jackets took him third overall, which scuttled that possibility. Now, Dubois could be attempting to finally find his way to the Canadiens. The Canadiens have the opportunity to solidify a Nick Suzuki and Shane Wright one-two punch down the middle at the draft next month, so it’s fair to wonder if the Canadiens’ choice at number-one overall at the draft will ultimately have an impact on Dubois’ future in Winnipeg.

Now, for some other notes about the Jets:

  • One other situation worth monitoring in Winnipeg is the situation of first-line center Mark Scheifele. Ates reports that Scheifele’s name has “made it into preliminary trade conversations,” and further adds on that a contentious exit meeting between the forward and the Jets front office could broaden the fracture between the Jets and their other star center. Centers who can score at above a point-per-game rate, as Scheifele has for the past half-decade, are rarely made available on the trade market or in free agency. Teams looking for center help this offseason could add Scheifele’s name to their possible options, and any deal with him involved is sure to have a major impact on the futures of both the acquiring team and the Jets.
  • In the midst of news on Dubois, Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler, the ongoing Jets coaching search may have taken a bit of a back seat in the minds of Jets fans. It has become clear that widely reported number-one choice Barry Trotz won’t be an option, and that has left the Jets to sort through the remaining candidates to find their next bench boss. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the following coaches are on the Jets’ radar for the job: two former Manitoba Moose head coaches in Scott Arniel and Pascal Vincent and two former NHL head coaches in Rick Tocchet and Jim Montgomery.

Snapshots: Dubois, Papirny, HHOF

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Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois made headlines yesterday when his desire to test free agency in two year’s time was reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Today, Friedman elaborated on his report, taking a wider view on Dubois’ situation in general. Friedman specifically pointed to Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s approach to other players who had their eyes on playing elsewhere, such as Jacob Trouba, to reveal how Cheveldayoff could approach the Dubois situation. In the face of Dubois’ desire to test the market in two years, it seems that no trade is imminent. Per Friedman, the Jets hope that Dubois will “be a Jet for a long time,” and will likely attempt to do whatever possible to change Dubois’ mind and get his signature on a long-term deal.

Dubois is an extremely talented player, and it’s easy to see why the Jets would want to do anything they could to change Dubois’ mind and keep him in Winnipeg. The Jets surrendered both Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic in order to secure Dubois’ services, and him leaving in free agency would be a major blow to the franchise. It’s a difficult situation for Winnipeg because ultimately Dubois does have the power to choose where he wants to play. If his heart is truly not in Winnipeg, the choice to hold on to Dubois and hope he changes his mind could be an incredibly costly one for the Jets. Cheveldayoff is an experienced GM who has gone through similar situations to this one before. How well he is able to handle this Dubois complication will be a major factor in determining how quickly the Jets can return to contention.

Now, for some other notes from across the league:

  • The Vegas Golden Knights made a big move today, taking a top UFA winger off the market with a three-year extension for Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, also made a signing today, inking goaltender Jordan Papirny to an AHL contract for the 2022-23 season. (per The Athletic’s Jesse Granger) While this signing may seem a bit curious at first glance since Papirny has only two professional games played on his record, the rationale behind it becomes a bit more clear when you do some digging. Papirny shared the crease with current Vegas goalie Logan Thompson in his time with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, and his head coach was Kelly McCrimmon, the current Golden Knights’ GM. Papirny, 26, had his most success last season playing Canadian college hockey in the ACAC, where he had an 11-0-0 record and a .948 save percentage with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
  • Today, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced details of this year’s selection announcement, with the 2022 class’ reveal set to be broadcast on Monday on TSN and NHL Network. The currently eligible players give a potential 2022 class some real star potential, with names such as Roberto Luongo, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, and Rick Nash entering the field, and familiar names such as Daniel Alfredsson and Alexander Mogilny hoping that this year will be the year their names are enshrined in Toronto.

Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois

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23-year-old centerman Pierre-Luc Dubois has had quite an interesting career after the Columbus Blue Jackets drafted him third overall in 2016. Things looked great for him after the 2018-19 season, where the 20-year-old had 61 points in his second season and played a key role as the team won their first playoff series in franchise history. Dubois faltered the next season, though, and after just one goal in five games the following year, Dubois was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets in a one-for-one swap for second-overall pick Patrik Laine. A tough season continued for him after the trade, raising doubts about his long-term future.

Dubois got his game back under him this season, though, notching a career-high 28 goals as he averaged nearly 19 minutes of ice time per game. A restricted free agent this offseason, however, it doesn’t appear as though Dubois wants a long-term contract. In fact, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that Dubois has informed Winnipeg that he wants to test unrestricted free agency in 2024. The Jets are still hoping to convince him to stay long-term, though, per the report.

It means that Dubois could either take the team to arbitration for a one-year contract or accept his $6MM qualifying offer. It might be a safe bet to just take the qualifying offer, as it’s likely around what the arbitrator would award anyways considering his inconsistent performance over the past few seasons, if not more.

As Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe notes, it puts Winnipeg in a tough situation. Dubois evidently wants to see a long-term improved situation in Winnipeg and a clear path back to Cup contention. Is Winnipeg willing to potentially go more all-in than they should in order to keep Dubois around long-term, or are they better off hitting the reset button? That’s the decision general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will have to grapple with.

Snapshots: Jets Offseason, Armia, Pokka

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After winning a playoff round last season, the Winnipeg Jets were among the league’s most disappointing teams this season, going 39-32-11, good for 89 points and sixth in the Central division. It was a season full of problems, but one problem the Jets didn’t have was a lack of scorers. Led by Kyle Connor’s 93 points, the Jets had four players hit the 60-point mark. One of those players, Pierre-Luc Dubois, hit the 60-point plateau for the second time in his career and has become the focal point of the Jets offseason. Dubois, 23, was part of the Patrik Laine trade and is now a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The Jets have to decide if they want to commit to a long-term contract with Dubois as well as how much to pay him, and Dubois has to decide if Winnipeg is the place he wants to spend the bulk of his prime years. It looks to be a very interesting contract negotiation, but according to Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff (via Jeff Marek of Sportsnet) that negotiation process has not begun yet. There’s no major rush as we’re still in early June, but with a potential arbitration date looming, it’s likely that both parties would rather get this done before then.

Beyond that update on Dubois, Cheveldayoff also spoke to Marek about the priorities for this offseason, noting a “need to replenish their prospect pool.” The Jets do have two blue-chip center prospects in Cole Perfetti and Chaz Lucius, but that is seemingly not enough for Cheveldayoff and the Jets. The team’s prospect pool was ranked 11th in the NHL by the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, (subscription link) and based on these comments it seems Cheveldayoff would like to raise his farm’s ranking into the top-10.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • Like many Montreal Canadiens, Joel Armia had a season to forget this past year. Armia, who had scored at a 22-goal pace as recently as 2019-20, scored only six goals in 60 games last season and finished with 14 points. Armia’s contract has made him a potential candidate to be traded this offseason, as the Canadiens would clear $3.4MM off their books if they move him. That contract and Armia’s performance was generally believed to be working against Montreal if they chose to shop him, but one thing that could be working in their favor is Armia’s performance at the recent IIHF World Championships. Armia scored five goals and added three assists in ten games and captured the gold medal as a member of Finland’s team. Armia looked rejuvenated after taking a personal leave at the end of the NHL season, and a league source told Jimmy Murphy of Montreal Hockey Now that Armia’s performance at the World Championships has gotten him noticed. That’s far from an indication that a trade is near, but it does indicate that the Canadiens could have an easier time finding a trading partner than they would have had a few months ago.
  • Former top prospect Ville Pokka, who was the focal point of the Blackhawks’ return for trading Nick Leddy to the Islanders, never quite made it to the NHL despite being reasonably successful at the AHL level. Pokka played four seasons of North American hockey, scoring 138 points in 289 AHL games. The defenseman looked to be on the cusp of making the NHL in 2015-16, when he scored 45 points as an under-22 AHLer. But that success didn’t translate into an NHL job, and after being traded to the Senators organization Pokka left for the KHL. Now, it seems Pokka’s stint as a starting-caliber KHL defenseman is over. According to Swedish outlet SportExpressen, Pokka will spend next year playing for Farjestad of the SHL, the reigning champions. Pokka is still just 28 years old, so perhaps with success on one of the best teams in the SHL Pokka can earn another crack at making an NHL roster.

 

Morning Notes: Nylander, Sweden, Dubois

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The Swedish national team is getting a nice boost for the rest of the World Championship, as Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander will join for the event. Nylander last appeared at the tournament in 2019, where he scored an incredible 18 points in eight games, two years after being named MVP in his first appearance.

Nylander is coming off his best season in the NHL. In 81 games, he racked up 34 goals and 80 points, both career highs, and was a point-per-game player in the team’s first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite all that, his name continues to surface in trade speculation as the Maple Leafs have been unable to find any semblance of postseason success with this group.

  • There’s going to be an interesting development in Swedish women’s hockey for next season, as the SDHL’s second tier will introduce a pilot program allowing certain body checks. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN details the new rules, which are based on a study that suggests with increased physical play, the players have actually increased their on-ice awareness, resulting in fewer concussions. In international play, body checking continues to be banned in the women’s game.
  • One of the more interesting names to watch at the Worlds right now is Pierre-Luc Dubois, who is playing for Canada despite not having an NHL contract for next season. If his hope was to show off a little bit more before a contract negotiation, it’s going well, as he is tied for the tournament lead with four goals and leads Canada with six points. Dubois, 23, is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer and will be due a qualifying offer of $6MM just for the Jets to retain his rights.

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