Pierre-Luc Dubois' next sweater very well might not be les Bleu, Blanc et Rouge after all.
With the disgruntled Winnipeg Jets centreman having long made it clear that his priority is to play hockey for the Montreal Canadiens, the 24-year-old Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, QEC. product may need to consider other options - at least for the time being.
Having already cried his way out Columbus - the team that drafted him third overall in 2016 - Dubois is nearly set to empty the tissue box in Winnipeg.
Having been dealt to the Jets alongside a 2022 third round draft pick in the famous Patrik Laine/Jack Roslovic deal of 2021, the physical forward has been nothing but a pain in general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff's side as of late.
Dating back to last offseason, it was reported that Dubois had no interest in signing a long-term contract with the Jets, while Montreal was his preferable landing spot.
With two seasons of team control left at that point, both Dubois and the Jets' organization put that conflict on the back-burner and looked forward to what was supposed to be a successful 2022-23 season of change.
A new coach, a new approach and an expected lengthy postseason run came crashing down in Winnipeg's second half. Winnipeg bowed out to the eventual Stanley Cup-winning Vegas Golden Knights, before players held rather solemn year-end media availabilities as they cleaned out their dressing room stalls for the final time.
And for Dubois, it may have been the final time setting foot in the home dressing room at Canada Life Centre.
Never one to rush to a player's trade demand, Cheveldayoff would certainly gain a significantly stronger assets in return should he look elsewhere for a suitor for Dubois.
Opting not to elect salary arbitration with the indignant forward, Winnipeg will look to make a move in advance of the 2023-24 season - likely as early as the 2023 NHL Draft next week.
With Montreal, of course, remaining in the chase, the Los Angeles Kings boast an array of youthful talent that Cheveldayoff could lean towards in a potential sign-and-trade with Dubois.
Pieces of interest for Winnipeg would be blueliner Brandt Clarke and forwards Quinton Byfield and Gabriel Vilardi. Of course it would be a sizeable ask to include any of those three youthful players in the return for Dubois, but it is important to remember his draft status (third overall) and to whom he was initially dealt for (Laine, second overall).
According to TSN Insider Darren Dreger, Montreal and Los Angeles are not even the only teams in the running for the scrappy forward.
"Well, activity around the Winnipeg Jets is definitely picking up this week," Dreger noted in his Insider Trading appearance on Tuesday evening. "As for Pierre-Luc Dubois, it's not just a two horse race. It's not just the Montreal Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings."
"There are other teams who are involved," he added. "We know the LA Kings have cap issues. The Montreal Canadiens have made it clear that, you know, this isn't going to be extortion. They can wait if necessary for when Pierre-Luc Dubois becomes an unrestricted free agent in a year."
Dubois does have some control over his future, as he would have to agree in principle to the long-term contract presented in a potential sign-and-trade. Cheveldayoff certainly would garner tremendous capital should he be able to talk his client into an eight-year deal and ship him to an appropriate party at the right price.
The 24-year-old set a new career-high with 63 points in 2022-23, while finishing one goal shy of his record 28 scored the year prior. Having led the league in minor penalties taken (43) in 2021-22, Dubois toned things down last season, but still led all Jets players with 77 minutes in 73 games - clearly his antics stem deeper than off-ice issues.
Dubois was playing on a one-year, $6 million deal, following last offseason's extension. He has made nearly $19 million over his six-year NHL career.
With the NHL Draft fast approaching, the Jets' GM's phone will continue to ring as he explores options for both Dubois and his star netminder Connor Hellebuyck. But until he finds the perfect suitor, the blockbuster deals will need to wait.