What Anthony Duclair’s long-awaited season debut means for the Panthers’ postseason push
It was the middle of the offseason and before there was even an official diagnosis Anthony Duclair knew he was probably going to be out for a long time. He felt a pain right above his left heel and soon found out his Achilles tendon was torn. Surgery was on the way and, with it, so was at least six months of recovery.
Finally, the long road back is near its end. The left wing expects to be in the lineup for the Florida Panthers on Friday when host the Buffalo Sabres at FLA Live Arena and he’s itching for those last few hours to tick away until the puck drops.
“It’s just a lot of emotions put into one,” said Duclair, 27. “I’ve just got to go out there and do my thing.”
With 22 games left in the regular season, the Panthers (29-25-6) still need to make up some ground to make the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs and the Sabres are one of the teams they’re fighting for a wild card. Duclair’s return should only help Florida, giving the Panthers a bit more of the depth and speed they were used to having last year when they won the Presidents’ Trophy.
“He’s ready to go,” coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday.
“I feel back to where I was,” Duclair added a day later, after another practice in Sunrise. “I feel 100 percent.”
Maurice, though, is taking a somewhat more subdued tone. As good as he can be, Duclair will play a more limited role at first and the coaching staff will ease him into a bigger role as he proves he can handle it.
It could happen quickly or it could take some time. Either way, Florida will get a boost from having another player with All-Star upside back on the ice.
Duclair played in the 2020 NHL All-Star Game for the Ottawa Senators, left to join the Panthers in the following offseason and had the best season of his career last year in his second year in Florida, setting career marks with 31 goals and 27 assists in 74 games. Now, he’ll step into the lineup to aid a postseason push, and replace less-experienced, less-accomplished forwards like Chris Tierney or Givani Smith.
What Duclair brings to lineup
Duclair does not expect to look like a significantly different player than he did before his Achilles injury. His confidence is still there. When asked what he expects to bring to the Panthers in his season debut, Duclair immediately landed upon his signature skill.
“Speed,” said Duclair, who has a reputation as the fastest skater on the team. “I just want to keep things simple, get as many shots as I can.”
This approach made him Florida’s third most productive goal scorer last year — despite his average time on ice of 15:00 rankings only seventh among Panthers forwards — and helped him lead Florida in shooting percentage at 18.6 percent. He was a huge part of why the Panthers were the first time in a quarter of a century to average more than four goals per game in the regular season last year and his absence is certainly part of why Florida has slipped out of the top five in scoring this year.
No matter where Duclair plays in the lineup, his goal-scoring mentality doesn’t change.
“There’s something different about goal-scorers and they way they practice, and he’s got it,” Maurice said. “He’s wired. He finishes every puck to the net. That’s what his strength is. ... He values what he’s great at.”
Where will Panthers’ Duclair play
Duclair’s other particularly valuable ability is his lineup versatility.
He started the 2021-22 NHL season on the Panthers’ fourth line and finished on their second, and played more than 30 on the first in between. In both of the last two seasons, he played at least 5 percent of Florida’s games on each of its four lines. His speed and shooting ability has made him a valuable wingman for All-Star center Aleksander Barkov, and, at times, a one-man fastbreak capable of carrying a third or fourth line.
Right now, all indications are Duclair will start out on the third line. He spent practice Wednesday and Thursday skating as the third-line left wing, next to forwards Eetu Luostarinen and Colin White.
It’s a natural spot to let Maurice monitor the winger’s playing time. The top two lines, essentially co-top lines anchored by either Barkov or All-Star right wing Matthew Tkachuk, each typically play more than 15 minutes per game, leaving something like 20 minutes per game — depending on how many power plays there are — for the bottom two to split.
If Duclair is feeling good and his line is rolling, Maurice easily let the third line get the majority of those remaining minutes. If Duclair isn’t and his line struggles, the fourth line, currently anchored by six-time All-Star forward Eric Staal, could take on more responsibility.
At some point, Duclair could get bumped back into the top six, once he has proved he’s ready for it.
“If he’s going, then I’ll get his minutes up,” Maurice said.
Inevitably, there will be some sort of learning curve. Last time Duclair played, Andrew Brunette was Florida’s interim coach and Maurice was unemployed. Duclair was a perfect fit for the wide-open style Brunette fostered and has a new, defensive-minded system to get used to now.
At the same time, Duclair has been sitting in on meetings since training camp and traveling with the Panthers for more than a month, watching every game from the press box. No matter how smooth it goes, Duclair will give Florida a jolt.
“I’m feeling very excited, obviously,” the winger said. “It’s definitely been a grind, learned a lot and grew from it, but obviously just really excited, a lot of emotions.”
