Pierre-Luc Dubois not at Blue Jackets camp, may be looking for a change of scenery
Anthony Scultore
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The Blue Jackets have been confident throughout the offseason that they will sign RFA Pierre-Luc Dubois. “I am confident that we will have Pierre-Luc Dubois under contract before the first day of training camp,” GM Jarmo Kekalainen said on an SiriusXM NHL interview.
The GM explained that these things take time but they fully expect it to happen before camp. Pierre Lebrun also noted that he was getting “good vibes” from Kekalainen just 2 weeks ago.
Pierre-Luc Dubois looking for a change of scenery?
Today, it sounds like Lebrun may be feeling something a little different. He reports; “Pierre-Luc Dubois is not in Columbus as camp approaches and remains unsigned.”
That’s not particularly shocking but he adds, “there are rumblings from a few teams around the league that Dubois may be looking for a change of scenery.”
So could the 22 year-old young star center be looking for an out? He scored 49 points in 70 games last season but was a force in RTP. In 10 games he notched 4 goals and 6 assists.
If there is a huge impasse, the cost to acquire Dubois, a former 3rd overall pick in the 2016 draft, it will be high. The other factor will be cap space as Dubois is certain to be looking for a deal in the $6-7 million range.
Mathew Barzal in New York ready for camp but waiting for a deal
Darren Dreger piggybacked on Lebrun’s reporting with a note on another RFA, Islanders center Mathew Barzal.
The young star is in NY getting ready for camp if a deal is signed.