Anthony Duclair will be stepping away from the NY Islanders to reflect

NY Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy confirmed today that forward Anthony Duclair will be stepping away from the team for time to reflect. 

"Obviously, you saw that Anthony was not at the practice today,” Roy said. “This morning, Anthony and I had a very good conversation, a very positive one, and Anthony asked me to take some time off and reflect. So, obviously, I agreed to that, and we'll give him all the time that he needs."

The news comes off the heels of Roy’s comments regarding his winger after the Isles 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. 

"He was godawful," Roy said. "He had a bad game, and that's why I didn't play him a lot. He's lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that's how I feel."

Duclair has struggled to contribute after returning to the lineup in December following a lower-body injury that saw him miss over two months of action.

Recording only 11 points (7 G, 4 A) in 44 games this season, it’s safe to say Duclair hasn’t produced the way the organization expected after inking the Pointe-Claire, QC native to a four-year deal this past summer.

The extent of Duclair’s reasoning for stepping away from the team is unknown and will likely never be known.

The immediate reaction for most would be to assume it’s because of Roy’s remarks, but Duclair may have never recovered from his injury and cannot play up to his standards.

With just eight games remaining in the regular season, it’s unclear if we’ll see Duclair on the ice again this season.