I grew up in Ohio. Because of this, I’ve seen, and continue to watch, a fair share of Columbus Blue Jackets games. Something struck me while watching them fend off the Dallas Stars, beyond the fact that Miro Heiskanen is a baaaaaadd man; Pierre-Luc Dubois needs some love. Last year, his rookie campaign, he fell every so slightly shy of the 50 point threshold (48). For a player that was considered a reach during the 2016 Entry Draft at 3rd overall, this guy has the stuff to be an exceptional power forward in the NHL.
A lot of what I do is in comparison to my beloved Red Wings and so here’s where I tie them in; I would take Dubois over Manatha any day of the week. I’m not sure that this is a hot take but Dubois’ shows consistency beyond his years. The fact that he jumped straight from the Q into the NHL speaks volumes about the guy. Now, I wouldn’t be doing my soul justice if I didn’t qualify my preference for the Jackets forward; Mantha is a scary large human who is nearly impossible to stop when he’s wants to give 100%. If he overcomes his streaky nature, 40+ goals is not out of the question for the Wing’s wing but that is a HUGE if. And to be honest, it wouldn’t even fucking matter right now with Detroit needing high draft picks, not mediocrity.