The Columbus Blue Jackets have been in a holding pattern for months and months. While the pandemic and a dead period in the NHL offseason is definitely to blame. They also have been taking their time trying to figure out what they are going to do with star forward Pierre-Luc Dubois on his next contract.
There are obviously a lot of different moving parts to getting Dubois signed. A potential internal cap, disagreements over how the salary cap will move in future years, and how exactly you structure a deal for a player that is as pivotal as Dubois.
Despite all of the questions surrounding the season that will make your head spin, TSN insider Pierre LeBrun during his insider trading segment had this to say about Dubois' contract status:
And, on the one hand with Dubois, his agent Pat Brisson, who was on our podcast this week, said that talks suddenly over the last little while here started to pick up with the season looking like it was going to return. I spoke with Blue Jackets’ general manager Jarmo Kekalainen on this day and he said it’s a priority to get Dubois signed before training camp started and he was confident he would do so.
With training camp just about a month away, this should quell many of the concerns fans have with Dubois not in the fold just yet. While an official announcement for the upcoming season has yet to take place, the understanding is that it will take place at some point in January.
No matter what the tenure of contract Dubois signs, the Blue Jackets should want to get the deal done sooner rather than later. Once his cap number is on the books, then the team can try to operate and see if they can bring in more reinforcements.
Dubois isn't under contract yet but after no information for a long time surrounding the negotiations, a sign of good news will be a welcome sight for Blue Jackets' fans.
