The Arizona Coyotes are a youthful bunch, and Anthony Duclair still seems to be a part of their plans
The Arizona Coyotes are one of the more interesting teams to watch heading into the preseason. At the moment, Anthony Duclair remains unsigned, but the talks remain positive. Kent Hughes, Duclair’s agent, continues to see hope as things progress with John Chayka, the team’s General Manager and President of Hockey Operations.
Chayka has not been candid about Duclair’s season, or the chance a deal gets done.
"“The easy answer is that Duclair didn’t have a good year, but the truth is that same question can be asked of a lot of players in similar situations this summer. .. I don’t think there are any real issues. I’m confident it will happen. Some deals just taking longer but we’ve been working at it. A lot of deals feel like they’re never going to get done and then they get done in short order.”"
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Long story short, Duclair has little on his side to demand a long-term deal, and is simply not worth a large investment right now. A one-year deal, with a relatively low price tag, will open the opportunity to prove himself next season.
Duclair is Playing for His Future
A 20-goal rookie campaign with a below average team is a great feat. However, Duclair followed that up with a mere five goals and 10 assists in 58 games. While the Coyotes were worse, Duclair looks to have taken a step backwards. Spending some time in the AHL last season, Duclair managed one goal and eight assists in 16 games.
This year needs to be different. The Coyotes have plenty of youth in players like Max Domi, Dylan Strome, and Clayton Keller. If Duclair wants to be part of the new movement in Arizona, he needs to show signs of life again. With a strong strong season, Duclair could either play for a contract in Arizona, or increase his value to go elsewhere.
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Surrounded by high-end playmakers, Duclair needs to find that scoring touch again. He should get an early chance at a top-six spot, maybe top-nine depending on training camp, and will need to hit the ground running. if he can find break the 25-goal mark, Duclair will not only prove that the 20-goal rookie campaign was no fluke, but that he has the potential to be better.