Andrew Gross: Islanders' Anthony Duclair seeks consistency, and ice time
New York Islanders left wing Anthony Duclair celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken with the bench during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Credit: AP/Lindsey Wasson
Anthony Duclair is confident in himself. Patrick Roy is confident his mercurial wing can still be a productive contributor to the Islanders’ playoff push.
Once again, the past is the past and the future is all that matters.
Which is all well and good. If all of the above actually comes to pass.
That just hasn’t been a certainty since the speedy Duclair signed a four-year, $14 million deal before last season. But as Duclair stood at his locker stall after Wednesday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, he spoke confidently about how he can help the Islanders and how the pre-Olympic break healthy scratches and benchings were not something he was dwelling on.
“That’s what the break is for, right? Kind of reset and recharge. So that’s what I did,” Duclair said. “I kind of reset my mind, mentally, physically and put everything behind me, whatever happened in the first half and just focused on playing a strong second half and hopefully making a long run in the playoffs. That’s my main focus.”
Still, it’s questionable whether Duclair will be in the lineup when the Islanders resume their season next Thursday in Montreal. He was a healthy scratch for the last game before the Olympic break as the Islanders beat the Devils, 3-1, on Feb. 5.
That came after Duclair was benched following the first period of the Islanders’ 5-4 overtime win over the Penguins on Feb. 3 because Roy was unhappy with his backchecking and defensive efforts, logging just 3:04. And his line with Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee sat for the third period of a 5-0 loss to the visiting Sabres on Jan. 24 because Roy did not like what he saw from Duclair and Barzal’s backchecking efforts.
Duclair responded with two assists in the Islanders’ next game, a 4-0 win in Philadelphia on Jan. 26.
And Duclair kicked off a stretch of eight goals in eight games with a natural hat trick in a 9-0 win over the visiting Devils on Jan. 6 after he was a healthy scratch in the previous match.
“Yes, he’s been perfect, he’s been perfect,” Roy said before the game in New Jersey on Feb. 5 when asked about Duclair’s response to having ice time taken away. “And he’ll be fine. I have zero worries, concern about him. He’ll be fine.”
“This is the time of the season now where there’s no real time to have emotion play into things,” Barzal said. “He’ll be back in the lineup at some point. He’ll score a big goal for us down the stretch or make a big play. I’m not worried about it.”
Barzal hit the crux of it for Roy and the Islanders. They have 24 games remaining and are trying to hold onto a playoff spot. If Duclair, who has a full no-trade clause this season and a modified no-trade clause the next two seasons, cannot produce, it will be tough to put him in the lineup. The same should go for Jonathan Drouin (three goals on the season, none in 34 games).
Duclair has 12 goals and 14 assists in 54 games, with eight of those goals coming in that eight-game stretch.
“I don’t think I’ve changed much of my game, to be honest,” Duclair said. “But there’s obviously things I need to improve on. Consistency, I guess, and making sure that, every shift, I’m giving it my all and battling out there. Confidence-wise nothing has changed. I’m super confident in my abilities to get back to my scoring ways. I just want to use this time, especially this next week or so of practice to get my legs under me. And whenever I come back, come back strong.”
So this is not last season, when Duclair struggled through a groin injury that essentially left him skating on one leg. It came to a head when Roy described his play as “godawful,” prompting Duclair to ask for a leave of absence and miss the season’s final eight games with Roy traveling to meet Duclair in the offseason and apologize in person.
“I’m just going to come to practice, have a positive attitude every single day and continue what I’m doing,” Duclair said. “That stretch where I was hot, I know the way I was feeling and that’s the same attitude I want to come to the rink with every day.”
Duclair wants the past to be the past. The Islanders want his future to include goals and consistent defensive play.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
