Pierre-Luc Dubois, the 2016 third overall pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, hadn’t necessarily found his home through the first eight years of his NHL career. Sure, he put together some good seasons with the Blue Jackets and had two strong ones in Winnipeg, but after a trade from the Los Angeles Kings to the Washington Capitals this summer, it feels like he has been put in a position to thrive. Dubois is on pace to surpass his previous career-high in points, 63 in the 2022-23 season. He has 53 points through 62 games. 

You can get the sense from talking to him how genuinely happy he is being with the Capitals. 

“I think [the fun] starts from the top,” Dubois told Daily Faceoff. “The guys that have been here for a long time that set the culture, O [Alexander Ovechkin], Johnny [John Carlson], Willy [Tom Wilson], Dowder [Nic Dowd], the culture that they set is a very serious one — we’re very competitive and want to win, but we also have a lot of fun. A lot of fun at the rink, a lot of fun together on the ice, in the dressing room, and all that. I think when you have that — I don’t think you win a Stanley Cup because you have the best team chemistry, but you’re not going to win the Stanley Cup without team chemistry. The guys in this dressing room, the new guys coming in, when you’re new to a team, you’re always feeling it out at first. The guys who have been here have been great at letting us in and showing us what the culture is here — I couldn’t ask for more.” 

Dubois was noticeably chatting with almost every single guy and even all of the coaches on the ice at morning skate on Wednesday as the Capitals prepared to play the New York Rangers. He’s clearly a talkative guy in the room and on the ice, and from what his teammates have said, he’s quite the strong communicator. It didn’t take Dubois long to feel comfortable with this group. 

“I think from day one — the thing about this dressing room and the more you get to know guys, there are some really funny characters in here,” Dubois said. “We have a lot of personalities on this team, and that’s what makes it really funny. You put all of those personalities together, and it just meshes well.” 

Dubois spent last season with Matt Roy in Los Angeles and raved about him as a teammate. Roy has really helped shape the strength of the Capitals’ blueline this season, but his contributions off the ice could possibly be stronger.

“I know he’s extremely funny, so I’ve been trying to push him — and I think finally the guys are starting to see the funny side of him,” Dubois said. “He portrays a calm, shy guy, but he’s not once you get to know him — he’s one of my favorites.”

He continued to rave about some of the other guys in the room, like Charlie Lindgren, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Nic Dowd. 

“[Lindgren], van Riemsdyk, and Dowd — that trio, they should start a podcast, because they got a lot to say and it’s pretty funny,” Dubois said with a big smile. 

Dubois has been given a ton of defensive responsibility by head coach Spencer Carbery, and that challenge is one Dubois welcomes and takes pride in. 

“When I was in Columbus, I played against the top lines — it was different because I was playing with Panarin so it was kind of offense against offense, great player, great person too,” Dubois said. “In Winnipeg, at times, I played against top lines, but it was mostly Adam Lowry’s line, and in L.A., it didn’t really happen. Then I came here, and one of the first things they said was that they think you could do a good job of playing against the top lines, and I always knew and thought that I could. It’s not easy; you have offense like everyone else, but it’s a fun challenge to have. You can finish a game and have zero points, and have a really good, big impact on the game. That’s what I’m trying to do every night.” 

Everyone sees the videos that the Capitals post on their social media after a win and how infectious the energy in their locker room is, but what they don’t see is what the group is like after a loss. From the sounds of it, the way this team handles defeat seems to be a positive for them as well. 

“I’ve always tried to have a midnight rule. At midnight, you move on to the next game. You can be upset about the game, but at midnight, you move on, and it’s the next day,” Dubois. Sometimes it’s easier, sometimes it’s harder, but this team — I think we do that extremely well.” 

After that comment, Dubois said, “knock on wood,” and then knocked on his face rather than the actual wood next to him. He said his name in French means wood.

“We don’t let ourselves really go down the lows too much or really let ourselves go up too high either after we’re winning. We have that mix of fun and seriousness and competitiveness, which is what makes us a special group.” 

Dubois certainly had expectations coming into the season, especially with seven years left on his contract at a hefty $8.5 million cap hit, but a lot of the conversation around him was questions about how he would fit in the Capitals’ locker room. He’s been a total game-changer for this team. 

“I think I always knew the player I was, I know the player I am — everybody has off nights, everybody has better games than others, but I just wanted to prove it to myself that one year doesn’t define you as a player. I’m having a lot of fun with the guys in here, the staff and everybody, so, I think I’m just back to myself.” 

Some really powerful stuff for Dubois, and seeing a guy who has been criticized a lot through the early stages of his career this genuinely happy in a new spot is moving. For the Capitals’ sake, hopefully Dubois can continue to bring his energy to the rink; it’s evident how much it helps his team. 

_____

Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!