NHL Analyst Has A Massive Prediction For Pierre-Luc Dubois' Replacement

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James Connelly
August 28, 2023 (8:41 PM)

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The Pierre-Luc Dubois trade shook the NHL world and now his replacement could wind up being even better than Dubois was last year.

The Blockbuster Trade

Earlier this summer, the Winnipeg Jets brokered a trade with the LA Kings that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to California.

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This trade instantly looked like a win for the Jets because it was known that Dubois would not sign long-term in Winnipeg and they managed to get some top assets to replace him.

Of these, Gabe Vilardi looked to be the immediate Dubois replacement while Kupari and Iafallo could slot in on decent spots for the Jets.

Massive Vilardi Prediction

Recently, Mike Rupp spoke on the NHL network about what he believed Vilardi could do.

I'm gonna go with Gabe Vilardi of the Winnipeg Jets. I think it's guys got all the elements to be a breakout player this coming season. He comes over from LA word predominantly played not in the top six and on the wing as well. I think he's gonna be the second-line center in Winnipeg and if he's a second and center Winnipeg he's probably gonna be playing with Nikolaj Ehlers who is a criminally underrated puck mover play maker hockey player maybe Iafallo as well and you look at what you did last season five on five per 20 minutes right? So expect a boost in ice time

...maybe we're talking 35 (goals) and 70 points.

For comparison, Pierre-Luc Dubois last season as a 24-year-old scored 27 goals and 63 points in 73 games (30-goal/71-point pace).

Rupp is predicting that Vilardi comes close to matching Dubois' point totals and surpass his goal totals last year which would be a major win for the Jets. On top of this, Vilardi is one of the strongest defensive centers in the NHL so that paired with another step offensively, we could see Vilardi outperform Dubois next year.

Previously on Hockey OTB

Elias Pettersson Sends A Strong Message To The Canucks

The Top Two Teams To Trade For William Nylander Revealed

Most Likely Candidates to Leave Winnipeg are Revealed and One Name May Surprise You

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28 AOUT \| 129 ANSWERS NHL Analyst Has A Massive Prediction For Pierre-Luc Dubois' Replacement Will Gabe Vilardi score 70+ points next year?
Yes	101	78.3 %
No	28	21.7 %
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