Fans keen to see Pierre-Luc Dubois wearing the Montreal Canadiens jersey next year are in for a treat, as the Quebec forward would love to be part of a transaction.
Athletic reporter Pierre LeBrun reported Wednesday that Dubois had told his agent Pat Brisson that he had no intention of accepting a contract extension from the Winnipeg Jets this summer. The possibility of a one-year pact before gaining full autonomy is also not planned.
The 24-year-old will become a restricted free agent on July 1. If he really wants to leave Manitoba, he needs to be involved in a transaction. Will Montreal be ready to wrap up a game with the Jets, who were particularly greedy in 2022?
Winnipeg reportedly demanded Nick Suzuki in exchange for Dubois last summer. Brisson had already fueled the fire by saying his client would like to play for the Canadiens one day. Still, according to LeBrun, the Habs would be in the running and general manager Kent Hughes would have been in touch, though he doesn’t feel like paying a fortune.
Dubois earned a salary of $6 million last season, but he can expect a higher salary in 2024. He is also entitled to arbitration.
CH should have just over $11 million on its payroll but still has some deals to settle.
A native of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, he set a career-best 63 points in 73 games in 2022–2023. He added four points in five playoff games as the Jets were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.