Pierre-Luc Dubois led the pack through a brutal conditioning skate to open Washington Capitals camp, and that alone told a story.
The 28-year-old center downplayed it after the fact, but his effort didn't go unnoticed.
"Dubie's been in Washington for a while, and he's been training extremely hard," head coach Spencer Carbery said. "I see a very focused young man that is just ready."
He'll be a great addition to the roster if he can stay healthy.
Dubois posted just 19 points in 29 games last season, limited by abdominal and adductor injuries that eventually required surgery on November 7.
That injury cost him more than three months, and Washington finished 43-30-9, missing the playoffs by three points to Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division.
Compare that to his first season in Washington, when Dubois posted 66 points in 82 games with a career-best plus-27 rating, helping the Capitals finish first in the Eastern Conference with 111 points.
He also fractured his hand crashing into the boards in Washington's 80th game last year, pushing his total games missed to 53 for the season.
Why teammates are already noticing the difference
"I think he looks phenomenal," linemate Tom Wilson said. "He's probably the fittest, he was the best skating player on our team on the ice. I know he's hungry."
Wilson posted 62 points in 72 games last season, and pairing him with Dubois and Alex Tuch gives Washington a genuinely physical line built to grind opponents down.
Tuch posted 66 points in 79 games last season, and this new trio has already talked about becoming the line that controls the puck for entire shifts.
Washington added Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, and Vincent Desharnais this offseason, but Dubois staying healthy might matter more than any single addition.
"Him being healthy and ready to start the season is critical to our success," Carbery said.
Dubois says he's learned from last year's setback and still wants to become one of the league's best two-way centers. Whether his body finally cooperates for a full 82 games is the only thing left to answer.
Will Pierre-Luc Dubois stay healthy for a full season with the Capitals?
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