The Arizona Coyotes may be ready to move on from struggling young forward Anthony Duclair. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the team is “working to find [him] a fresh start” through a trade.
Duclair, 22, has seen his star fade since a breakout debut year with the Coyotes in 2015-16. A 2013 third-round pick by the Rangers who was acquired by Arizona as part of the Keith Yandle trade, the winger immediately made his mark as a rookie with 20 goals and 24 assists in 81 games.
However, he’s recorded just 28 points in 87 games since then, and in the summer, he’s set to hit restricted free agency. Over the past four games, Duclair has recorded zero points, a minus-4 rating, and less than 13 minutes of ice time per game, so he’s not exactly trending in the right direction, either. The Coyotes may be ready to get what they can for him and move on.
As Friedman said in his column, there will surely be teams interested in the young forward. He’s still just 22 years old, less than two years removed from a 44-point rookie season, and has a $1.2 million cap hit. He’s also been slightly better this season with 13 points in 29 games, which isn’t great but represents an improvement from 15 points in 58 games last season.
Here’s Mile High Hockey, SB Nation’s Avalanche blog, on why it’d be smart for Colorado to pursue the forward:
The Avs aren’t in a position to give up futures for older players, but they’re also not at the point where they want to be waiting around for draft picks. At 22, Duclair fits in perfectly with the young core, so if you can grab him for a draft pick - maybe the extra second rounder from Nashville that came over in the Duchene trade - you jump at that chance.
So it’s possible we see Duclair on the move soon, which would make sense if Arizona wants to recoup some value before he hits RFA status in the summer. And for Duclair, the chance to enter a new environment for a few months before his contract expires could be a crucial opportunity to rebuild his value before negotiating a new deal.