SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: San Jose Sharks' Alexander Barabanov (94) prepares for the puck drop against Arizona Coyotes in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE – Anthony Duclair and Alexander Barabanov might have both played their last game in a San Jose Sharks uniform.
Indications were early Thursday afternoon that Duclair and Barabanov would both be held out of the Sharks lineup for the team’s evening home game against the New York Islanders and be dealt to other teams before the NHL trade deadline on Friday at noon (PST).
Duclair and Barabanov are pending unrestricted free agents and there is enough interest in both players to hold them out of the lineup and not risk an injury to either winger.
A trade involving either player is more likely to take place Friday than today.
Both Duclair and Barabanov, in an unusual move, were among the last players on the ice at the team’s practice facility Thursday after an optional morning skate. Fed passes by an assistant coach, both wingers practiced one-timers from near the faceoff dots.
Sharks coach David Quinn said Thursday morning he still had to finalize his lineup for the Islanders game. He added, though, that those questions were about the health of some players, not because some might be held out for trade-related reasons.
Still, Duclair and Barabanov, both healthy and interviewed later, could not say for sure whether they would be in the lineup as the Sharks play the second game of a three-game homestand.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen,” Duclair said Thursday. “So, we’ll see. It’s that time of the year, so, just trying to enjoy the day and go from there. Honestly, I don’t have any updates right now, but we’ll see what happens.”
Duclair entered Thursday with 16 goals and 27 points in 56 games but had been playing his most productive hockey of the season over the last three-plus weeks since the Sharks returned from their bye week on Feb. 12.
In the last 10 games before Thursday, Duclair led the Sharks with seven goals 10 points, and 26 shots on net. With Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture both unavailable, Duclair has been playing mainly on a line with Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund.
Those three combined for nine points, with Duclair collecting two goals and two assists, in the Sharks’ 7-6 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. The Sharks led 6-3 before they allowed three straight third-period goals, and a goal by Roope Hintz in overtime.
Please check back for updates on this developing story.
Originally published at Curtis Pashelka