WHO WILL HAVE A BETTER 2024-25 NHL SEASON LAINE OR DUBOIS? #montrealcanadiens #washingtoncapitals

Both Patrick Laine and Pierre Luc Dubois are trying to resurrect their NHL careers.
Today we did a side by side comparison of what to expect from both in 2024-25.

Pierre-Luc Dubois (born June 24, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Dubois was born in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, but grew up in Rimouski. He was drafted third overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, and has also played for the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings.

Playing career
Youth
Dubois played in the 2010 and 2011 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the Rimouski Océanic minor ice hockey team.

Junior
Dubois was drafted by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft, and began with the Screaming Eagles in the 2014–15 season. In his rookie season, Dubois was the league’s top-scoring 16-year-old.

Leading up to 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Dubois was the top-ranked North American skater. He was described as a multi-dimensional player possessing the ability to influence a game in a number of ways, and a bona fide future star for an NHL club.

On December 11, 2016, Dubois was traded to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

Patrik Laine (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpɑtrik ˈlɑi̯ne]; born 19 April 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey right winger for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.[1] Laine has also previously played for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Early life
Laine began playing hockey at four years old and was primarily a goaltender, before permanently switching to forward as a youth at the advice of his father.[2][3] At age 16, he left school to focus on hockey full-time.[4]

Playing career
Tappara
Laine started to play hockey in Ilves at age four, but soon changed to local competitor Tappara. He would make his Liiga debut at age 16 during the 2014–15 season with Tappara, logging six games and scoring one point.[1] The following season, Laine scored 17 goals and 16 assists for a total of 33 points over a span of 46 games with the club.[1]

Prior to the start of his NHL draft season, Laine was ranked in numerous hockey publications as the fourth-best prospect entering the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.[5][6] Due to strong play with Tappara early in the season and an impressive showing at the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championships where he scored eight goals in seven games, Laine’s ranking on most draft projections rose from the season prior, when he had been widely considered a mid-first-round prospect.[7][8]

After a dominant performance at the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Laine began to receive greater attention from scouts and casual observers alike.[9] By January 2016, he had moved up the ranking on most draft lists to second overall.[9] McKeen’s Hockey notably ranked Laine first overall on its January 2016 list.[10] According to hockey analyst Bob McKenzie’s mid-season draft report, Laine had become the “clear consensus No. 2 choice” over fellow Finnish prospect Jesse Puljujärvi.[11] This was due to what scouts described as a “‘dynamic’ element”, with one scout elaborating, “Laine maybe is more of a pure goal scorer, a game-breaker with a little higher offensive ceiling.”[11]

Laine with Tappara at Helsinki Railway Square in March 2016.
By February 2016, Laine was considered to be a potential challenger for first overall at that year’s draft, challenging the previous consensus choice, Auston Matthews.[11] When asked if Matthews was still the favorite to be selected first overall in the June 2016 draft, several scouts expressed they “had to think long and hard about it . . . Laine is right there”.[11] One scout justified that “in the end, we favoured the centre over the winger but I don’t think it’s a reach at all to see Laine going first overall. A lot of our European scouts who see these guys think Laine is better”.[11]