The Kings quickly cut their losses. The Capitals offloaded a goalie they no longer wanted. They both made out better than anyone expected.

Dubois, who returns to Crypto.com Arena for the first time as a Capital on Thursday, left Los Angeles a distressed asset. In Washington, he has been an impactful player from the start.

When the Los Angeles Kings traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals for Darcy Kuemper, they knew they were giving up a player with a lot of potential. But in the end, the move was necessary,