Top Prospect Pierre-Luc Dubois Traded to Blainville-Boisbriand

Alan Draper

Sports Editor

January 7 2017 2 min read

Blue Jackets 2016 1st Rd pick Pierre-Luc Dubois has been traded from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

Screaming Eagles have traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to Blainville-Boisbriand… full details included here https://t.co/rkV5EnMQDr

— Cape Breton Eagles (@CBEHockey) January 6, 2017

Word of the trade has been public since early December but it was finally made official after the QMJHL’s trading period ended and the World Juniors had come to an end. For Dubois, the Eagles receive Mathias Laferriere, a first in 2017, and a second in 2018. Both picks are the Armada’s. The Eagles will receive an additional first round pick if Dubois returns to the Q next season.

Laferriere was the 7th overall pick in the QMJHL’s draft this year but has been playing AAA with the Lac St. Louis Lions. He’s put up 39 points in 21 games along with an assist for the…Boats (yeah, I’ll work on a better nickname).

But you don’t come to me to hear about a 16 year old. What does this mean to PLD?

When the deal was announced, the Armada were tied for the Q’s best record going 20-7-3-1 (that’s Blue Jackets good!) They are known as a defensively strong team, having the lowest goals against total at the time but also being the lowest scoring team of the QMJHL’s top five teams. Since then…they’ve fallen flat. The team has gone 1-4-1-1 in the interim since the “unofficial” announcement.

The team is now 14th in the 18 team league in goals for ,but is still stingy with the 3rd lowest goals against. Armada Coach/GM Joel Bouchard doesn’t want to put to much pressure on Dubois

«Pierre-Luc Dubois n’arrive pas chez @ArmadaBLB comme un sauveur, on veut qu’il s’intègre bien à notre groupe. » – Joël Bouchard

— Jean-Charles Lajoie (@JiCLajoie) January 6, 2017

Translated, that says: “Pierre-Luc Dubious can’t [arrive] @ArmadaBLB as a Savior, we want that [he] fits well within our group”.This could be a message not just to ease PLD’s transition, but also to the rest of the team to put in the necessary work for the remainder of the season regardless of who is acquired via trade.

Dubois should slot in somewhere on the Armada’a top 6 and lots of special teams time. Hopefully this trade can get PLD going offensively. I’m not asking for 80 points in his final 30…ok maybe I am (wipes off sarcasm) but a strong finish can catapult him towards a strong pro debut, be it in Cleveland at the end of the season or possibly next year.

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