Patrick Roy told reporters after New York Islanders practice Thursday that 29-year-old forward Anthony Duclair will be away from the team indefinitely.
“This morning, Anthony and I had a very good conversation, a very positive one, and Anthony asked me (if he could) take some off and reflect,” the Islanders head coach said. “So, obviously, I agreed to that and we’ll give him all the time that he needs.”
Duclair has struggled in his first season with the Islanders after signing a four-year deal worth $3.5 million per season last summer. He suffered a torn groin five games into this season, missed 28 games and hasn’t been effective since he returned just before Christmas. He has seven goals and four assists in 44 games and his ice time dwindled to under 12:15 in the last three games.
After Tuesday’s loss to the Lightning, in which Duclair only got a handful of third-period shifts, Roy unloaded on Duclair in the postgame press conference. “He was god-awful. He was god-awful. He had a bad game. That’s why I didn’t play him a lot. And he’s lucky to be in the lineup.
“Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s how I feel.”
What this means for Duclair and Roy going forward has yet to be determined. The Islanders, losers of six straight and currently sitting five points back of the Montreal Canadiens, who currently hold the second wild card with eight games to go, don’t appear headed for the playoffs. Roy is signed for several years beyond this one; so is Duclair. Lou Lamoriello, who signed Duclair with Roy’s strong input — Roy coached a 16-year-old Duclair with Quebec of the QMJHL — is also very likely to be back.
So cooler heads will likely have to prevail. An 11-point season for a player turning 30 this summer is not the résumé of a guy teams want to trade for, of course, so unless Lamoriello decides to rid himself of Duclair via buyout or Duclair is so fed up he asks to terminate his contract, coach and player will both be back for training camp in September.
(Photo: Christopher Creveling / Imagn Images)