Pierre-Luc Dubois reveals his true feelings after getting traded by Los Angeles Kings after just one season

Former Los Angeles Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois was traded to the Washington Capitals last week on June 19 for goalie Darcy Kuemper. The forward recently shared his thoughts on the trade that ended his hopes of staying with the franchise long-term.

Pierre-Luc Dubois signed an eight-year, $68 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets and was immediately traded to the Kings on the same day last year. Now, with his recent move to Washington, the player will find himself in a new environment all over again.

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Dubois opened up on his experience of being traded from LA. He mentioned that there's no time for self-pity and he harbors no hard feelings about the trade.

"I don't think there's any time for anybody to feel sorry about themselves," Dubois said (per The Hockey News). "You learn in the hockey world teams will do what they think is better for their team, and there's no hard feelings.”

“For me, I could take it multiple ways, but I'm choosing to take it as extra motivation and to just get myself ready for next season," he added.

Dubois also shared his thoughts about his new team, mentioning that he was always excited to watch them on TV while growing up. He mentioned being initially ‘surprised’ and ‘shocked’ by the trade, but after talking with the coaching staff, management, and some players couldn't wait to join the team.

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Pierre-Luc Dubois excited to help Alex Ovechkin break all-time scoring record

Washington Capitals icon Alex Ovechkin is nearing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time scoring record. When asked about the possibility of playing alongside Ovechkin if he breaks the record, Dubois shared his genuine excitement.

“To be able to play with the best goal scorer of my generation and hopefully one day soon the best goal scorer in NHL history is pretty crazy to think of,” Pierre-Luc Dubois said (per NHL.com).

Dubois added that the idea of assisting in such a historic moment would be ‘incredibly special’ for him. He said:

“To be able to assist in a moment like that, to be there, I’m sure would be something incredibly special, not only in my career but in my life too.”

Back in 2017, Dubois was roommates with Washington center Dylan Strome while playing for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship. When asked about the two reuniting in Washington, Pierre-Luc Dubois mentioned that he was looking forward to it.

“I'm sure that we'll push each other, and he'll teach me what he's learned already," Dubois said. "We'll be able to have good conversations. His career, the way he's progressed, is really fun to see. It's exciting to see that. Hopefully, I can get there, too."

The Washington Capitals did not have a deep playoff run this year as they faced early elimination in the first round of the postseason at the hand of the New York Rangers. Dubois will be looking to help his team elevate their game, and that of his own, come next season.