Anthony Duclair grinding through injuries for New York Islanders

The New York Islanders signed Anthony Duclair this offseason hoping to inject speed and scoring into the team’s top six. The move paid dividends as Duclair was a force on the ice in his first three games. Duclair notched two goals and one assist, looking like the player everyone thought he would be.

But then, injuries hit. Duclair was the first big name to go down for the Isles this season, sustaining an injury in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on October 19. He returned to the lineup on December 21 and seemed to regain form. He notched points in three straight games.

Unfortunately, Duclair’s productivity fell off a cliff. He went 10 games without a goal, breaking the tough-luck streak on January 24 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Since then, Duclair has failed to find the back of the net, leaving fans asking questions about where his scoring touch has gone.

All told, Anthony Duclair has four goals and four assists in 26 games this season. He’s a minus-9 and has been largely disappointing despite getting top-line minutes with Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, and Anders Lee.

Perhaps it’s been the inconsistency in linemates that’s affected Duclair’s game. Coach Patrick Roy has had to juggle lines amid injuries. So, it could be fair to say that lack of certainty in linemates could have played a major role in Duclair’s lack of production thus far.

However, the Islanders expected more from their biggest offseason free-agent signing. So, it seems the 4 Nations break came at the right time for the 29-year-old as a minor reset could be just what the doctor ordered.

Anthony Duclair grinding through injuries for New York Islanders

It’s unfair to write off Anthony Duclair as falling short of expectations without digging deeper into why. In my estimation, Duclair hasn’t been 100% all season long. He’s been a trooper but hasn’t been himself throughout the season.

That sentiment was echoed in a January 1t piece in the NY Post. The piece described how Duclair had been playing through an injury, describing his condition as “good enough to play.” In particular, the lower-body injury he sustained in October has hampered Duclair’s most valuable asset: His skating speed.

Duclair uses his speed to outplay opponents. But that speed hasn’t quite been there this season. As he told The Post: “It’s tough. Trying my best, but the game’s based on speed. The way I skate is a lot of power, obviously using a lot of my legs. With my injury, it was tough to come back. Still feeling it. I’m not using it as an excuse at all. I think I just need to play better.”

Those comments underscore the fact that Anthony Duclair has not been able to play his game. As a result, he hasn’t delivered the results the New York Islanders expected of him. So, there’s reason to think that a two-week layoff could do wonders to help Duclair get healthy.

With the Isles looking to make a push for a playoff spot, the team will need Duclair to be 100% for the rest of this season.