Last summer, the Los Angeles Kings wanted to make a big splash. To do so, they talked to the Jets… and brought Pierre-Luc Dubois to town.
It cost a lot in players (Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari) and money (he signed an eight-year, $68 million contract), but he promised to make life difficult for the Oilers, who had eliminated the Kings from the playoffs two years in a row.
In the end, though, the Kings once again fell to the Oilers this spring. In the process, Dubois finished the season with just two goals in his last 21 games, an unsatisfactory performance for a player who earns $8.5 million a year.
Pierre-Luc Dubois had 2 goals in his last 21 games, regular season and playoffs, for the @LAKings. He had 9 assists during that span.
– Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 2, 2024
Of course, the Kings will be hoping that the next few years will be more encouraging for the man still under contract for seven years…
Unless the club decides to cut ties with him this summer, and one factor could influence a lot of things in that direction: the length of the current playoffs.
What you need to know is that, under normal circumstances, a contract buyout involves a penalty of 2/3 of the amount remaining on the player’s contract. However, if the player is under 26 at the time of the buyout, the club’s penalty is only 1/3 of the remaining contract.
Dubois is currently 25, but will turn 26 on June 24. And since the window to buy out contracts opens 48 hours after the last game of the finals (which can end no later than June 24), it could be a race against time for the Kings.
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If Dubois is bought out this year, is it 1/3 or 2/3 buyout?
He turns 26 on June 24
The buyout is 1/3 if the player is under 26 at time of buyout.
Buyouts can start LATER of:
-June 15
-48 hours after cup finalCup final could be up to June 24 this yearhttps://t.co/R458mBcT9g
– PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) May 2, 2024
So, if the Kings intend to buy out Dubois’ contract, they must hope that seven-game series become rare by the end of the playoffs. And in the finals, it doesn’t have to drag on forever.
Should the Kings decide to buy out PLD’ s pact before June 24, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for them. The salary penalty for 14 years would hurt, but apart from between the 2026-27 and 2030-31 seasons, the bill would never exceed $2 million a year.
In fact, there would be three more difficult years between 2027-28 and 2029-30, when the bill would climb to just under $4 million a year, but even then, that’s a lot less than $8.5 million a year.
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Pierre-Luc Dubois Buyout – a lot of money can be saved if you just do it now #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/Wvu0qKGEGT
– John Puck (@johnpuck1992) May 2, 2024
Beyond June 24, though, buying out Dubois’ contract wouldn’t make much sense. The smallest amounts would be in excess of $2 million a year, while the most difficult seasons would see us approaching $5 million a year.
If there is a buyout, it will be before June 24 (unless the Kings are really, really fed up with Dubois).
But in reality, one thing is clear: the mere fact that the possibility of a contract buyout is being raised after the first year of an eight-year pact shows that PLD has not delivered the goods for the Kings this season.
It’s not for nothing that Tony Marinaro would rather undergo a root canal than see the Habs pick up Dubois this summer, even for bad contracts.
In gusts
– Coming up.
In an interview with @TVASports Sheldon Keefe mentioned that he’s still hopeful Auston Matthews will be available for a possible Game 7. @MapleLeafs
– Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) May 2, 2024
– Ryan Reaves left out in Toronto.
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– It’s party time in Toronto.
Well… if anything, they’re ready for Game 6 here in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/9Sj0iDspuP
– David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) May 2, 2024
– Your thoughts?
No, the team won’t be called “La Poche Bleue de Saint-Hyacinthe”. Stay tuned for the unveiling of the team name and colors in the coming weeks! 🤠What are your predictions? @thetender1987 @Lappy14 pic.twitter.com/tfohgms9nw
– La Poche Bleue (@lapochebleue) May 2, 2024
– We can understand them.
Trois-Rivières is proud to see its players break into the NHL! https://t.co/wqAQujJjDV
– RDS (@RDSca) May 3, 2024
– Red Bull is on a roll these days.
Adrian Newey’s departure | “For the moment, my future is with Red Bull”, maintains Verstappen https://t.co/hO9tRJjzlc
– La Presse Sports (@LaPresse_Sports) May 2, 2024