The Washington Capitals made quite the splash on Wednesday by acquiring center Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Los Angeles Kings for Darcy Kuemper, and general manager Brian MacLellan is confident that the trade will pay off.
Dubois packs "immense potential" and has shown that he can be a top contributor on offense when he's at the top of his game.
While the acquisition of Dubois does give D.C. the opportunity to change some things up, it does make the team's situation down the middle a bit more interesting.
With Dubois in the mix, the team now has five NHL-ready centers: Dubois, Dylan Strome, Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre and Nic Dowd. Lapierre, of course, is back in Hershey to play with the Bears in the Calder Cup Final, but he has shown that he is ready to graduate to the highest level.
Five centers create an influx, so Washington does have a bit to think about when it comes to addressing the depth.
Mainly, the attention shifts to Lapierre and McMichael with Strome and Dowd being locked-in roster players.
Washington can surely shift one of them to the wing, and the more likely candidate for that role is McMichael, as Lapierre's speed and ability in the dot make him better suited for that position. McMichael's also had more experience playing on the wing.
Or, if the team isn't done making moves, it could look to potentially move a center — of course, not Dylan Strome.
Dowd's name did come up at the trade deadline, and moving Dowd would allow for more playing time for the younger players in the organization, a goal for D.C. going forward. However, given how much he means to the organization on and off the ice and his low price tag, the team may want to hold onto him, especially with Dubois coming in and needing to learn the ropes and systems from veterans.
McMichael is a restricted free agent and is expected to sign a bridge deal, but could he potentially be a young name with upside that interests teams and leads to a good return? The same could be said for Lapierre.
By trading Darcy Kuemper, general manager Brian MacLellan made a statement that he is looking to make changes and isn't afraid to make a move this summer, so it's definitely possible that there could be more coming.
One thing is certain: Dubois down the middle creates a whole new dynamic.
