The Columbus Blue Jackets have agreed to terms on a new contract with restricted free agent Pierre-Luc Dubois. The centre’s new deal is worth $1o million over two years with an annual average value of $5 million. The signing solidifies an important piece of the Blue Jackets’ forward group.
📝 BREAKING: The #CBJ have signed C Pierre-Luc Dubois to a two-year/$10 million contract extension.
DETAILS ➡️ https://t.co/TkFrFlziBn pic.twitter.com/uvrRqkI1Qz
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) December 31, 2020
Pierre-Luc Dubois Re-signs with Columbus Blue Jackets
Dubois has become a crucial part of Columbus’ forward group since joining the team. The Blue Jackets drafted the Quebec native third overall in the 2016 NHL entry draft. While this seemed like a reach to many at the time, the selection of Dubois has proven to pay off for the Blue Jackets. In 234 games, Dubois has racked up 65 goals and 93 assists for 158 points. The centreman also contributes on the physical end, as he registered 50 blocked shots and 85 hits in 70 games last season.
Moving Forward
Dubois has been a solid player thus far in his NHL career, but the Blue Jackets are hoping that, with this new deal, he can become an even bigger part of the team. Very few teams lose what the Blue Jackets lost in the last offseason and were still able to salvage a solid campaign, but the Blue Jackets did just that. Dubois stepped up to become a big reason that happened.
The playoffs indicated that Dubois has a chance to become an even more important piece going into the future. In 10 games, Dubois scored four goals and added six assists for 10 points. He also vastly improved his face-off percentage from 44.6% in the regular season to 55.9% in the playoffs. Dubois hounded the Toronto Maple Leafs as well, chipping in with an even more physical style than he normally plays.
His play was one of the main reasons, along with goaltending, that the Blue Jackets managed an upset over Toronto. If Dubois can continue improving his face-off ability, using his 6′-3, 218-pound frame to his advantage and keep scoring, the Columbus Blue Jackets may have just locked down their number-one centre for the next several years.
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