The Washington Capitals took a risk by trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Los Angeles Kings in June.
In an interview with La Presse, Dubois talked about his struggles with the Kings. He said he “didn’t feel at home” and blamed unclear team strategies for his poor performance. “Take it as you will, but I’ve always needed to have clear instructions to do my job 100%,” Dubois explained. “I didn’t really know what was expected of me. I didn’t know where I stood. You can’t play well when you question yourself too much.”
Dubois mentioned that his former coach, Todd McClellan, wasn’t great at communicating expectations but didn’t put all the blame on him. “We didn’t talk often. Todd is more of a team tactics coach,” he added. “Maybe we didn’t have that relationship. Maybe I was too demanding, wanting to have the path explained to me. It’s obviously my fault that it didn’t work.” Some Washington fans might see this as complaining or a sign of low hockey IQ, which could be bad news for the Capitals’ upcoming season.
Coach Carbery’s Approach:
However, Dubois’ honesty shows he wants to improve and isn’t afraid to ask for help. It’s rare for a player at his level to admit their weaknesses so openly. This should make Coach Spencer Carbery excited because he now has a player willing to learn and grow.
“I think he’s got an emotional maturity that he reads where individuals and the team are at, and he’s got a message that coincides with that,” MacLellan told the Washington Post in April about Carbery’s coaching style.
Fans might think it’s refreshing to see such openness from a player.
Dubois seems eager to start fresh under Carbery’s guidance, showing up for informal skates as early as August.
What do you think? Is this move going to pay off for the Capitals?
