Islanders’ Anthony Duclair out long-term, not expected to miss rest of season

Bad news, but not the worst news, for one of the veteran forwards on the New York Islanders‘ roster.

When speaking to the media on Monday, general manager Lou Lamoriello revealed that forward Anthony Duclair suffered a lower-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup long-term but doesn’t expect it to take him out for the rest of the season.

Lamoriello said that more information will be available on Tuesday after some more testing.

Duclair was injured this past Saturday in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. When rushing the puck into the offensive zone, the 29-year-old looked to have lost his balance, with his right foot hitting a rut in the ice. Duclair went down and had to be helped off the ice.

He didn’t return to the game. Duclair registered a shot on goal in 15:07 of ice time.

Through five games, Duclair has scored two goals and an assist, averaging 16:30 of ice time with an even plus/minus.

This will not be the first time Duclair will miss a considerable amount of time due to an injury. The Pointe-Claire, Quebec native missed the first four months of the 2022-23 season with the Florida Panthers after suffering an Achilles injury during the offseason. That year, he played in just 20 games, scoring two goals and seven assists, but notched 11 points in the Panthers’ 20 playoff games that spring.

Duclair signed a four-year contract with the Islanders this past season. The deal carries a cap hit of $3.5 million through the 2027-28 campaign. He earned that value after a solid 2023-24 season where he scored 24 goals and 42 points in 73 games, splitting time between the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning.

In 568 career games, Duclair has scored 148 goals and 158 assists for 306 points. He has also registered 16 points in 39 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.