Pierre-Luc Dubois is entering the 2026-27 season with a shot at climbing several NHL lists, and the Capitals center is the one worth watching beyond Alexander Ovechkin.
At 28 and back to full health after missing 53 games last season following abdominal surgery, Dubois is in position to pile up numbers. He is 73 games shy of his 700th NHL game and also needs 73 points to reach 500 for his career. That means he would have to stay close to a point-per-game pace and beat his career-best 66 points, which he set in 2024-25, if he wants to land both milestones at the same time.
There are other markers within reach, too. Dubois is 43 assists away from 300, and his high-water mark there is 46 assists, also from 2024-25.
If he gets to 30 goals this season, he would hit 200 for his career. His best single-season goal total is 28, which came back in 2021-22 with Winnipeg, so the 30-goal line is realistic enough to circle, even if it may be the hardest one to clear.
The setup around him could help. Dubois takes pride in his defensive work, and head coach Spencer Carbery typically uses his line against opposing teams’ top units.
That kind of assignment can tilt the ice the Capitals’ way, keep the puck in the offensive zone, and create more chances for Dubois and the players around him. With additions like Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, along with Capitals regulars such as Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas, and Ryan Leonard, the ingredients are there for a big year.
If everything lines up, March 21, 2027 could be the date to watch. Dubois could score his 30th goal and pick up his 43rd assist to reach 73 points on the road against the Rangers, while also playing in his 700th career game at Madison Square Garden. That would put 200 goals, 300 assists, and 500 points in the same spotlight.
The more realistic path may be a little less dramatic. Dubois is more likely to reach his 700th game and 300 assists this season, while the 200-goal milestone might have to wait until next year. Still, with the NHL moving to an 84-game season for the first time since 1993-94, he gets two extra chances to chase those numbers in 2026-27.
Even without the perfect one-night payoff, this shapes up as a milestone season. Dubois is healthy, in his prime, and surrounded by enough talent to make a real run at several career markers. The first checkpoint is 200 even strength assists, but that’s only the beginning of what could be a busy year in the record books.
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