Before the season, many analysts wondered just how long it would take for the No. 3 overall pick in last year's NHL draft, Columbus Blue Jackets pick Pierre-Luc Dubois, to make his NHL debut.
Considering the Blue Jackets were coming off a disappointing season and the big centerman was chosen just after Auston Matthews (Toronto) and Patrik Laine (Winnipeg), most analysts expected him to don the union blue at some point this year.
Of course, Columbus' unexpectedly successful season happened and there was no need for Dubois to be rushed, breaking a bit of a historical trend for the Blue Jackets.
In addition, some would say Dubois didn't get off to the greatest start. Through 20 games with Cape Breton of the QMJHL, Dubois had six goals and 18 points – solid numbers but not what might have been expected for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, especially one who had 42 goals and 99 points the year prior with the Screaming Eagles.
While some have suggested his early-season scoring woes were a result of not being in Columbus, the prospect said he wasn't sure.
“I don’t know if it was that but I never like to make excuses anyway,” Dubois said in March. “I wasn’t performing as well as I know I can and who knows what the reasons were. But everybody goes through ups and downs and you just have to keep working."
But at that point, Cape Breton dealt the 18-year-old to Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and the numbers started to return to 2015-16 form. In 28 games with the Armada in the regular season, Dubois posted 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points while adding 45 penalty minutes. He also had five assists in seven games with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.
This postseason has been more of the same. The 6-3, 200-pound Quebec native has helped push the Armada to the QMJHL semifinals with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 12 games. In Game 2 against Charlottetown in the semifinals, Dubois had a goal and added the primary assist on the game winner in the final minute as Blainville-Boisbriand took a 5-4 victory to knot the series at a game apiece. You can see highlights of the game here, with our old friend George Matthews on the call.
Game 3 against the Islanders will be tonight.
Time will tell when Dubois will arrive in Columbus, but things do appear to be again moving in the right direction for the power forward with an accomplished scoring touch.
