Confirmed with Link: Islanders Sign Duclair to 4 Year Deal, $3.5M AAV

[Bronson]

Iirc his biggest knock was that he was physically weak and easy to knock off the puck, but he seems to have improved his strength lately. I'm very happy with the signing.

 

[MikeyMike01]

8 teams in 9 years.

While it is true that eight teams moved on from him… nine teams wanted him!

And nine is bigger than eight!

 

[I Loveallsports]

The rangers fans loved him when he play their back in 15. Nickname "the duke".

 

[IslandersGER]

It woundn't be

Every July 1 Jon Sim pops up like a jack-in-a-box on HF Islanders.

what, no Jagr?

 

[leeroggy]

Anthony's younger brother is a Statesman! Go 'Bart!

Chris Duclair - 2023-24 - Hobart Ice Hockey - Hobart and William Smith Colleges Athletics

Chris Duclair (62) F - 2023-24: NATIONAL CHAMPION ... Named to the NEHC All-Rookie Team ... Part of NEHC All-Tournament Team ... Named NEHC Rookie of the Week twice

hwsathletics.com

 

[BelovedIsles]

Duclair is highly skilled.

He’s a tier below a game breaker. He can dangle, shoot stationary, shoot in stride, beat you one-on-one then drive to the net. He’s always a threat.

This isn’t based on the Sharks clips. I’ve been following him for years.

 

[Throttle]

Wow, the fluff on Duclair here. He ain’t Pavel Bure people.

 

[impaaaaaact]

Wow, the fluff on Duclair here. He ain’t Pavel Bure people.

No, and he's not being paid like it. He's being paid like Pierre Engvall on a contract half as long despite pacing for 25+ each of his last 3 healthy seasons while not really getting PP time. It's fully plausible that we picked up a 30 goal player for 3.5M in the right role, which, given our cap situation is about the absolute best we could do in free agency.

I swear to god, some of you follow this team just to get worked up and talk down to people. Things are allowed to be positive!

 

[Fantom]

So this is a very Meh deal. i feel like the term is a little long but its not horrendous.

 

[impaaaaaact]

Let's also go over this 8 teams in 9 years thing so we can put it to rest. Will leave it at the bottom but the TLDR is: He couldn't stick with the Rangers as a teenager, he was part of 3 deadline deals, he tried to represent himself without an agent and failed, and one of the franchises is fake.

- Played 18 games for the Rangers at age 19, didn't stick and had to go back to play with Roy in the Q as he was too young for the AHL. He was traded to the Coyotes at age 19 for Keith Yandle.
- HE requested a trade from the Coyotes, a franchise that literally does not exist anymore.
- Ended up with another toxic bottom feeder situation with the Blackhawks and Coach Q. Played 20 games, didn't work out.
- At age 22 he signs with CBJ, coached by notorious prospect developer John Tortorella. Somehow he can't get a top 6 role over Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson (40 goals that season), Oliver Bjorkstrand and Josh Anderson. He is traded at the deadline for Ryan Dzingel.
- In Ottawa he gets a top 6 role and goes to the All Star Game. He fires his agent, tries to handle his own negotiations and fumbles them. Ends up with Florida.
- Plays the covid year in Florida, and the next year scores 30 goals. They go to the Stanley Cup and lose. Florida needs cap space and has to move him in order to create room to sign defensemen.
- Begins the year again on bottom feeder SJ before he is acquired by Tampa, where he scores 8 goals in 17 games.

We offered him stability and familiarity for the first time in his career, and he took a steep discount for it as evidenced by the Stephenson and Debrusk deals. As every analyst I've seen has pointed out, the contract is a steal. Hopefully people will stop blindly criticizing it .

 

[BelovedIsles]

Wow, the fluff on Duclair here. He ain’t Pavel Bure people.

You have a trifecta now.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

We offered him stability and familiarity for the first time in his career, and he took a steep discount for it

Oh, I thought it was because the Isles are one of the few teams left he hasn't played for.

 

[Duanesutter12]

I really like this signing. I've been a big fan of Duclair for years and always thought he would be a good fit due to his perpetual availability. With his skill set he could potentially be a 30-40 goal scorer and while the knock on his inconsistency is fair, getting someone with his speed and ability to shoot at the price we got him is a very good deal. Sometimes the light doesn't go fully on for some guys until late. Pair him with Barzal and their speed causes a lot of teams problems!

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

I don't know if the deal should be considered a steal but it definitely is smart.

Feel like 28 year old UFA's with his type of skill coming off a 24 goal season don't typically agree to a deal of 3.5mm AAV.

Whether or not Duke gets a shot on the top line, or he's more in the middle six role, he provides speed and goal scoring ability. Two things the Isles lacked in 2023-24.

 

[saintunspecified]

I’m Haitian so this is basically an instant jersey buy for me. I’m also Jewish so it’s actually crazy we drafted a (presumably) Jewish kid #1 and then signed a Haitian guy in FA. Doesn’t usually happen!

Congrats on the bolded. Didn't know he was of Haitian descent.

Unfortunately, I don't think Eiserman is Jewish, unless it's a really well kept secret. I think we're going to have to remain jealous of the various teams with great young Jewish players. Unless you were referring to someone else? (so far as I remember NYI's only recent Jewish pick was Ho-Sang)

 

[impaaaaaact]

Congrats on the bolded. Didn't know he was of Haitian descent.

Unfortunately, I don't think Eiserman is Jewish, unless it's a really well kept secret. I think we're going to have to remain jealous of the various teams with great young Jewish players. Unless you were referring to someone else? (so far as I remember NYI's only recent Jewish pick was Ho-Sang)

Hahaha the Eiserman thing is an inference based off of last name and the interview his family gave at the draft. I was like, yeah, that could totally be my dad’s cousin. For sure though, can’t find it corroborated anywhere

 

[bstash19]

Question I have, can he be effective in OT or the shootouts? That's an area this team needs help.

but how is he on the shoot out?

He was 1 for 2 (50%) last season. But this was after going 3 for 19 (15.8%) in his career prior to that. Including a stretch of 13 straight misses from '17-'23. oof. (His last make prior to this stretch was the SO winner against the isles, greiss was in net. Alan Quine scored the only isles goal in the game, in a 2-1 SO loss)

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

He was 1 for 2 (50%) last season. But this was after going 3 for 19 (15.8%) in his career prior to that. Including a stretch of 13 straight misses from '17-'23. oof. (His last make prior to this stretch was the SO winner against the isles, greiss was in net. Alan Quine scored the only isles goal in the game, in a 2-1 SO loss)

Slides into the Isles lineup nicely.

 

[MikeyMike01]

No, and he's not being paid like it. He's being paid like Pierre Engvall on a contract half as long despite pacing for 25+ each of his last 3 healthy seasons while not really getting PP time. It's fully plausible that we picked up a 30 goal player for 3.5M in the right role, which, given our cap situation is about the absolute best we could do in free agency.

I swear to god, some of you follow this team just to get worked up and talk down to people. Things are allowed to be positive!

Hell, Leo Komarov got a similar contract all the way back in 2018 (4x3M).

 

[doublechili]

Not that long ago the Isles may have been the slowest team in the league. Whatever else you might think of recent moves, by adding guys like Romanov, Engvall, Duclair, Holmstrom, Gauthier, Reilly, MacLean, they're at worst middle of the pack now. And they've drafted some really good skaters as well.

 

[warrior60]

Not that long ago the Isles may have been the slowest team in the league. Whatever else you might think of recent moves, by adding guys like Romanov, Engvall, Duclair, Holmstrom, Gauthier, Reilly, MacLean, they're at worst middle of the pack now. And they've drafted some really good skaters as well.

Maybe some speed but absolutely no scoring.