Kings' Dubas needs to have a bounce-back playoff
The Los Angeles Kings only have one more game remaining after their game against the Minnesota Wild, which means players will need to start gearing up for the postseason.
In years past, we have seen players on playoff-bound teams have subpar seasons and turn it around in the playoffs and be the team's best player. With that, let's look at a player who could turn it around for the Kings.
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Pierre-Luc Dubois' first season with the Kings hasn't been as advertised. When he was traded there from the Winnipeg Jets and signed an eight-year extension, many thought we'd see a new version of him.
Unfortunately, Kings fans have seen much of the same that both Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets fans saw. He was slow on the back checks and looked uninterested at times. There were points when he played on the last line because he was playing poorly and had to be held accountable.
Through 80 games thus far, he only has 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points. Dubois has shown in the past that even when he isn't scoring he can be a thorn in the opposition's side. He has done it to Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs since his Blue Jackets days and has made it extremely hard for them to take open ice.
If he can channel that version of himself, he could be set to have a breakout postseason for the Kings. Especially if they are going to draw the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. He could make it very tough on Connor McDavid and could be the driving force behind the Kings winning that series.
The fact of the matter is, if Dubois doesn't turn things around soon, he could be looking at yet another team. This could be what he wants; he has been very vocal about playing for his boyhood team, the Montreal Canadiens.
But for now, he is a member of the Kings' organization. and needs to show up and play hard every night to give his club the best chance to win the Stanley Cup.