With eight games to go in the regular season, New York Islanders [http://thn.com/isles] forward Anthony Duclair [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/islanders-anthony-duclair-deserving-of-fresh-slate] requested and was granted a leave of absence. After sustaining a groin tear in game five of the regular season, Duclair did what he could to get back. Unfortunately, upon his return, he struggled to find his game, and things came to a fiery halt on Apr. 2. Following a losing effort against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy was asked about Duclair's play. "He was god-awful. He was god-awful. He had a bad game. That's why I didn't play him a lot," Roy said. "And he's lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that's how I feel." Duclair and Roy go way back, as the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender was Duclair's bench boss in juniors. Roy called Duclair on July 1, 2024, the first day of free agency, asking him to come to Long Island. He agreed and the Islanders signed him to a four-year deal worth $3.5 million annually. Things just didn't work out. Islanders Anthony Duclair Deserving Of Fresh Slate [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/d282ecd3-4bf8-4f00-a355-5617457115c2.webp] Islanders Anthony Duclair Deserving Of Fresh Slate After signing a four-year, $14 million deal last offseason, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders" target="_blank">New York Islanders</a> forward Anthony Duclair’s first year in blue and orange didn’t go as planned. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/islanders-anthony-duclair-deserving-of-fresh-slate] The question was, would Duclair be coming back for year two? Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said that was the plan, and Roy was hopeful, but we needed to hear from the man himself. On Tuesday, we did, courtesy of Big Ceaz [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxixUCT_AF8] interview with No. 11. "The Islanders right now are my team. I love them. I love playing for them," Duclair said. "I love the fans. We got a great hockey rink. It's been a joy, and I'm looking forward to a great season. And I'm looking forward to bouncing back and hopefully getting into the playoffs." You can watch the full interview here: Duclair recorded 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 44 games.
