Florida Panthers left wing Anthony Duclair (10) skates during the second period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
San Jose Sharks winger Anthony Duclair said a former Florida Panthers teammate offered to help him get familiar with the area after he makes the move to the South Bay later this summer.
“(Joe Thornton’s) going to take me under his wing, he says,” Duclair said Monday. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Duclair, 27, was acquired by the Sharks from Florida on Saturday for center Steven Lorentz and a 2025 fifth-round draft pick. It was a shock for Duclair, who went from being in the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers last month to joining the rebuilding Sharks – all in less than three weeks.
But Duclair said after speaking with Sharks general manager Mike Grier, and, of course, Thornton, about what might lie ahead, any concerns he had “turned quickly to excitement.”
“I’m just excited for the opportunity here in San Jose,” Duclair said. “We’ve got some good talent up front and I’m just looking forward to getting there and meeting everyone.”
Perhaps this could be a win-win for both Duclair and the Sharks.
Duclair, who had 99 points in 137 regular season games with the Panthers over the last three seasons, including a 31-goal year in 2021-22 when Thornton was in Florida, figures to be highly motivated with unrestricted free agency awaiting him next summer.
Duclair, who is entering the final year of his three-year, $9 million deal he signed with the Panthers in 2021, could easily slot in the Sharks’ top-six forward group, alongside either Tomas Hertl or Logan Couture. He also could be a part of San Jose’s top power-play unit, perhaps filling, at least partially, the void left behind after leading goal-scorer Timo Meier was traded to New Jersey last season.
There’s no guarantee Duclair will thrive with the Sharks, who might soon be trading Erik Karlsson — the engine behind San Jose’s offense this past year. But Duclair will be given a prime opportunity.
During the Panthers’ playoff run, Duclair played extensively with both Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe and had 11 points in 20 games, averaging about 15 minutes of ice time per game, in the hardest time of the season to produce offense.
“He’s someone who scored pretty consistently in the last few years of his career,” Grier said Saturday. “He’s shown that he can play with pace and play with good players and produce. I would say he’s going to have every opportunity to be in the top six.”
“I just want to make sure that whenever I’m out there, I’m making an impact,” Duclair said. “Being sound on defense and obviously chipping in offensively. I like to use my speed and my vision, and whoever I’m playing with, I always want to try to communicate and get better with each shift.”
Duclair said his biggest goal is to play a full 82-game regular season and then make the playoffs, something he hasn’t done in nine NHL seasons. In July 2022, Duclair sustained a torn Achilles while training and didn’t play in the NHL again until Feb. 24.
“It’s just staying available, still staying healthy, and taking care of the body as much as I can,” Duclair said.
A good season from Duclair would certainly help the Sharks try and stay in contention in an increasingly difficult-looking Pacific Division. But given his recent playoff success with the Panthers, Duclair could also bring back a lucrative return at the NHL’s trade deadline next year should the Sharks, as expected, be out of the playoff picture.
Duclair would then join a playoff-bound team just as he’s ready to become a UFA, with the NHL salary cap projected to rise by $4 million to $87.5 million for the 2024-25 season.
And, hey, if things go really well, there’s always a chance the Sharks and Duclair come together on a longer-term deal.
“To be honest, my goal right now is training camp and I’m not looking past that,” Duclair said. “I’m obviously entering the last year of my deal and would love to make something happen, but I’m just focusing on training camp and then we’ll take it step by step.”
Thornton, who turned 44 on Sunday, hasn’t yet retired and doesn’t have an official role with the Sharks, but was around Grier and the team at times last season. He’ll probably spend time around the Sharks again this season, with Duclair now among the players he already knows.
“He just kept praising how much he loved it and how much I’m going to love it,” Duclair said of San Jose. “It’s a great place to play. As an opposing player for the past nine years, I’ve heard the Shark Tank be as loud as anywhere in the league.”
Originally published at Curtis Pashelka