Player Profile: Pascal Dupuis, The Unheralded One

Player profile will be a semi-regular contribution to the blog, the focus of which is to give a little insight into the career of a player who may not be getting the recognition he deserves. Up first: Pascal Dupuis.

The phrase "all things get better with age" rarely applies to hockey players. Usually by the time they are approaching their mid 30's, they are also approaching the downturn of their careers. It's not often you see a player putting up career numbers as a 34 year old. Yet, after scoring his 20th goal tonight, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis is proving that trend wrong.

Despite playing four years of junior in the QMJHL, putting up decent numbers (including 50 goals in 61 games in 1999-2000), and possessing good size and speed, Dupuis was somehow never drafted. He was eventually signed by the Minnesota Wild, and again put up decent numbers as a rookie and sophomore at the NHL level. However due to injuries and the lockout Dupuis stagnated and eventually was traded to the New York Rangers, who turned around and traded him the the purgatory that was the Atlanta Thrashers. This was the low point for Dupuis' career but he didn't know that his luck was about to change, thanks to teammate Marian Hossa.

At the 2007-2008 trade deadline, the Penguins were looking for a running mate to play along-side superstar center Sidney Crosby as they were going after their first Stanley Cup since 1992. Atlanta meanwhile, was languishing near the bottom of the league and looking to trade Hossa to the highest bidder. The trade was huge and, at the time, Dupuis being part of the package going to Pittsburgh was almost an afterthought. What neither team knew was that Dupuis would become the most valuable part of the deal. Hossa wasn't enough for the Penguins to beat the Detroit Red Wings in the final, and moved on to those same Red Wings after the season was over. Dupuis, however, remained.

Fast forward one year. The Wings and the Pens meet in the final again, and this time the hockey gods shone their favor upon the Pens. Though Dupuis did not register a single point during their run, he was an invaluable cog in the machine, providing solid defensive play and earning his first Stanley Cup ring.

Which brings us to today, where Dupuis is an established first line winger in the NHL. His goal scoring touch,  speed, fore-checking ability and astute positioning are so good that even Jarome Iginla can't supplant him as Crosby's running mate. Some say that Dupuis' inflated stats are due in part to being on the Pens top line, yet even with Crosby out of the lineup, he continues to produce at a career best pace. Additionally, with 25 goals last year, and 20 already this year, he is one of the biggest bang for your buck players in the league with a salary of only $1.5 million per year. When he signs his next contract this summer, it will likely be the largest of his career, and he's worth every penny. He has never, and will likely never, win any major NHL awards but by playing the perfect compliment to Sid, he may yet win more Cups.

Kinda funny how things work sometimes...back in 2008 when the Penguins made the trade with Atlanta, they thought they were finally getting the perfect winger to play with Crosby. They were right, it's just not who they expected it to be.


Thanks for reading, as always comments are welcome. I leave you with your daily gif, a small reminder of the awesomeness of The Dominator: