Calgary Flames Potential Draftee: Pierre-Luc Dubois

Bright spots in the 2015-16 season have been few and far between for the Calgary Flames. But fortunately for them, teams are compensated for their futility on draft day.

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With what is assuredly going to be a high pick, it is imperative the Calgary Flames hit another home-run like they did with their last two high picks, Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett.

Pierre-Luc Dubois is one of the top prospects available in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, but is he a good fit with the Calgary Flames?

Dubois has put up impressive numbers in the QMJHL with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, scoring 37 goals and 50 assists in only 57 games.

At 6 foot 3 and 202 pounds, Dubois has an enviable amount of size and skill. He shoots left, and can play all three forward positions.

His draft stock has soared over the course of the season, from being ranked just outside the top ten, to now challenging everyone not named Auston Matthews for a spot in the draft.

One thing the Calgary Flames don’t need is another centre-man. Aside from having great depth in the prospect pool, the Calgary Flames have Monahan and Bennett entrenched as their one-two punch down the middle.

But Pierre-Luc Dubois has the intangibles that make him a great prospect for the draft, regardless of your team need.

His versatility allow him to slot anywhere your team needs him, like on the right side of Johnny Gaudreau and Monahan, or playing on the left of Bennett.

In addition to his versatility, Dubois has a solid all around game. Name an aspect of the game, and chances are Dubois is adept at it.

His blend of size, skill, hockey sense and a two-way prowess make him a valuable commodity in today’s NHL.

Something intriguing about Dubois is that he actually uses his size to be hard on the forecheck, protect pucks and be a hassle in the other teams blue-paint.

While he won’t be running guys through the boards like current Calgary Flames winger, Micheal Ferland; he will continue to use his size to his advantage in the NHL.

We all know how some players with size inexplicably never use it to their advantage near enough at the NHL level. The Calgary Flames usual suspect being Joe Colborne.

Dubois has excellent hands in tight and shows lots of promise both as a premier play-maker and sniper. His offensive instincts show great potential, and he has ripped off some highlight-reel goals consistently throughout the season.

Dubois also plays the penalty kill, meaning his coach has faith in his abilities in his own end as well. Most offensive players that come out of the CHL usually need a lot of work in their own zone, but Dubois seems ahead of the curve making him more NHL ready than some of his peers.

Potentially his biggest asset is however his hockey sense. Similar to Monahan, Dubois is able to find the soft spot in the zone to open himself up for high quality chances. His vision allows him to find the open player in the offensive zone, and seems to read the play before it happens.

There aren’t really any knocks on Dubois, if anything, there are faster skaters such as Michael McLeod, there are players with better hands like Alexander Nylander and there are more physical players like Max Jones.

But there aren’t many players who are good at essentially every facet in the game like Dubois is.

Dubois has everything the Calgary Flames would want from a forward and could be a valuable piece moving forward. Draft rankings are split on this player, having him go anywhere from 4-12 on their rankings.

Expect him to go in the 4-7 range of the draft, right in the Calgary Flames wheelhouse.

If the Calgary Flames draft Dubois and play him as a winger for Bennett or Monahan, then the rebuild could accelerate rapidly.

With the trade deadline day over, expect the Calgary Flames brains-trust to shift their long-term focus to the upcoming draft.

With the Calgary Flames losing at a furious pace, players like Pierre-Luc Dubois who bring the size and skill that every team loves to add, should definitely be on their radar.

Next: Calgary Flames New Recruit: Brett Pollock

What are your thoughts on Dubois?

Is he the right guy for the Calgary Flames to pursue come draft day?

Let us know in the comment section below.

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