Fans want immediate results whenever a player comes in with the reputation and price tag Pierre-Luc Dubois came to the Los Angeles Kings.
With Dubois, that hasn't happened. The production hasn't been there and he's struggled to find his spot on the Kings' roster so far.
However, things are starting to look up in a big way for Dubois.
In recent weeks, his play has picked up without the production to match, and on Thursday, it all came together for a monster performance from Dubois.
He centered the Kings' best line in a losing effort to the Detroit Red Wings and came away with two assists, including a primary on Adrian Kempe's late tying goal.
It was Dubois' best game in a Kings sweater and the first time he looked anywhere close to an $8.5 million center so far.
He was engaged, physical and creative all night. On multiple occasions he connected on great cross-zone passes that only come from high-end players and was confident on the puck.
Two comments post-game, first from his new linemate Kempe and then from head coach Todd McLellan.
"PL looked really good out there tonight," said Kempe. "That's the type of PL we need."
"I thought PL had a hell of a game tonight," said McLellan. "You can really see him start to come on in the last 5,6,7 games he’s got his confidence, he feels good, we feel good about playing him."
"That's the type of PL we need," and "We feel good about playing him." Really sticks out there, especially from McLellan who is always very careful with the way he words things.
Obviously, you don't want to read too much into postgame comments, but this feels like a player who's turned the corner in the eyes of those inside the organization.
A player who's finding his home in the lineup and starting to impress those around him on the ice.
Of course, we can't declare Dubois fixed after a few strong performances and one night of production, but there's real promise in his new line.
The Impact of Kempe:
I don't think we can praise Dubois' performance without giving special mention to Kempe.
This has been the best start to a season we've seen from Kempe, who's on pace for his first point-per-game season and has taken the next step to become a true star in the NHL.
It's no coincidence that Dubois' best overall performance came with Kempe on his line. He's a game-breaking player who can change the trajectory of a line.
Kempe has some rhymes with Kyle Connor in Winnipeg, who Dubois had a lot of success with. A player with elite speed and the ability to turn half-chances into goals.
My stance on Dubois has remained the same for most of this season, he needs to be better, but the Kings also aren't putting him in the best spot to succeed.
Now, with Kempe on his wing, he is in a great spot to succeed, and succeed he has so far.
This also gives Kempe a chance to take command of his own line a little bit. He's spent most of the last two seasons anchored to Anze Kopitar's line, where he's found a lot of success, but that means he's playing on Kopitar's line.
You're always going to be more of a sidekick playing with someone of Kopitar's caliber.
Kempe can now become more of "the guy" on his line and carry that load. Of course, having Dubois means he doesn't have to do it all alone, but seeing Kempe given some more responsibility is a good sign.
Sustaining This Level of Play:
Stretches of good performances were always on the horizon for Dubois, they've always come for him and likely always will.
Now the challenge is to sustain this level of play. The word "inconsistent" has plagued him and he has to shed that if he's going to live up to his contract in Los Angeles.
With Kempe on his wing, there are no excuses, he should be productive consistently now.
If he can replicate that same performance he had on Thursday against Detroit, he might not get two assists every night. But the production will become consistent and he'll have a big, positive impact on this team.
