The Capitals center skated 17:29 minutes in his first game with his new team.
WASHINGTON — Pierre-Luc Dubois' start with the Washington Capitals didn't result in a victory, but it was still a debut to remember.
The 26-year-old center impressed head coach Spencer Carbery and his teammates in his first game with his new club, picking up an assist, two shots, three attempts, one hit and one block through 17:29 minutes.
"I thought he was one of the better players," Carbery said of his play on Saturday.
Not only was Dubois active offensively, helping generate some chances, but he was getting involved physically and going hard on the forecheck. His help along the boards also helped set Tom Wilson up for his first goal of the season, and he logged significant time on special teams, too.
"He was strong on that second line, you can tell that they've got some chemistry and sort of complement one another well," Carbery said. "You saw it on Willy's goal, I thought they were probably the best line today."
There is room for improvement as he ended up as a minus-1, but overall, he brought energy that was noticed by his teammates.
"I think the new guys are bringing an awesome bit of identity," Wilson said. "We're still figuring out our identity, it's super early in the year, but we love them as guys and they're good hockey players."
