Isaiah George Talk On Hockey Night in New York EAST MEADOW, NY -- Anthony Duclair had aspirations that he could be a key piece for the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] after signing a four-year deal this summer. The 29-year-old had a fantastic training camp and preseason and got off to a solid start alongside Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, with two goals and an assist through four games. But, in the club's fifth game of the season, Duclair went down with a lower-body injury, one that kept him out for 29 games. "It's always tough, especially because I was so excited all summer," Duclair told The Hockey News. "I thought I had a great summer and good camp, and obviously, I was just excited to play with my new team. "My goal every year is to play 82 games, and it just sucks that it didn't happen. But it's out of my control; things happen. At the same time, I tried to do my best to come back as quickly as possible and be healthy. I'm really excited to be back." We had been told that Duclair was skating on his own on the night of Nov. 25 before he rejoined practice on Dec. 10. As much as Duclair wanted to be back out there with the boys, it was a mental battle to ensure he didn't rush himself before he was 100 percent ready. It looked as though Duclair would return against the Carolina Hurricanes last Tuesday as the Quebec native took part in line rushes. But after the skate, head coach Patrick Roy clarified that Duclair would not be back in the lineup. Duclair returned to the lineup on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a 6-3 win where he recorded a primary assist on Isaha George's game-winner, logging 15:14 alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. Was Duclair ready to go before Saturday and just needed a few more days? The answer was no. "Right around till the end, to be honest," Duclair said about what he felt 100 percent ready to go. "If I could have played, I would have, but it was an injury where it lingered around, and I think it was an injury too, that I needed some practice time before I get out there. "Right around till the end, to be honest," Duclair said. "If I could have played, I would have, but it was an injury where it lingered around, and I think it was an injury too, that I needed some practice time before I get out there. "I think I had three practices, so that was good enough: couple skates and morning skates to just try and get used to it, trying to feel it out. Obviously, you can't do the same thing in the game. But I think practice time was very helpful. And just getting the physicality and the battle drills and stuff like that was very key before I could come back." Recovering alone is tough for any athlete, and Duclair, while not a positive for the team, was not alone. Star forward Mathew Barzal joined Duclair on the shelf five games later. "The first two weeks, I was by myself. That was painful. But, unfortunately for the team and unfortunately for him, he was out, but selfishly for me, I think it was nice to have somebody around for sure," Duclair said. "Those early mornings and those solo skates are tough, so it was nice to have a guy like that for sure around. We could push each other to be better and get better. And it was great to build that relationship off the ice, too." What did Duclair learn about Barzal in their time together? "He plays the guitar. He's a really good guitar player," Duclair said. "I went over to his place a couple of times just to hang out, and he whips out the guitar. It's something I didn't think I'd see from him." When Duclair signed his deal in the summer, the expectation was that he would play on the club's top line with Barzal and Horvat. While they started that way, upon Duclair's return, Roy had a change of heart and thought it was best to split all three of them up. Was Duclair shocked? "Well, to be honest, even when I signed, whoever I play with, it doesn't really matter," Duclair said. "I know I'll be playing in a good situation, whether it's with Barzy, Horvat, or now, with Nelly and Palsm. Those guys have been really good players in the city for a real long time. So I'm just grateful for the opportunity. "It doesn't matter who I'm playing with, and I just want to make sure that I go out there and do my job. Whoever I'm with, I'll try to create some chemistry right off the bat. I think that's the biggest key." Duclair will play his first game back on home ice since his injury whne the puck drops against the Buffalo Sabres at 7:30 PM ET.
