Kings: What’s Behind Pierre-Luc Dubois’ Struggles This Season?

With the offense returning to full health as the playoffs near, expect Dubois to find his stride with his current linemates as the Kings aim to earn the third seed in the Pacific Division. With two matchups against the Anaheim Ducks and one against the Chicago Blackhawks left on the regular season schedule, Dubois will have the opportunity to gain some much-needed offensive confidence against the bottom-feeders.

Using the Math

In addition to the inconsistency, Dubois has found himself to be getting a bit unlucky. Despite having just 15 goals this season, he is up to 19.9 expected goals, showing some poor luck in his short time as a King so far. Additionally, he has played just 15:43 per game this season, down from an average of over 18:30 in his previous two seasons in Winnipeg. Moving forward, he hopes to get more time with consistent linemates, allowing him to regain his confidence to return to his previous offensive production.

In addition to his expected goal totals being down, he has minus-5.5 goals above shooting talent. A more complicated metric that accounts for expected goals and shooting talent can be hard to gauge for the typical fan. In Moneypuck’s glossary, they state this metric “is based on a player’s historical track record of exceeding their expected goals.” So in short, Dubois is a better player than this and should get back on track to his previous goal totals. As well, he has taken just 139 shots this season, down from 205 and 233 in his previous two seasons. If he spends more time on the ice and takes advantage of his opportunities, he will return to the near 30-goal scorer he is expected to be.

While fans like to find comfort in blaming one person or action for a player’s struggles, these struggles are sometimes as simple as they seem. Dubois is just like all of us and he is having a down season. It is hard to be a professional athlete and maintain elite numbers for over a decade. Last season he scored 27 goals and 63 points in 73 games and was immediately traded amid contract disputes. Once traded to the Kings, he received a massive eight-year, $68 million deal.

After securing such a massive contract, it is easy to see how he could lower his standards. The good news for Kings fans is Dubois is a competitor and is likely not happy with his performance this season, so it is hard to imagine he will not do everything in his power to get his game to where it needs to be. While there is a common feeling online among hockey fans that Dubois is whiny and lazy, there is a reason he is a star in the NHL, so he is doing something right as an athlete.