Julien BriseBois decided the Tampa Bay Lightning would buy once again at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. The Tampa Bay General Manager acquired two new players, who have had much success in their first two games with the club. Today, we focus on Anthony Duclair, the forward BriseBois traded for from the San Jose Sharks who has goals in back-to-back games for the Lightning since his arrival.
Anthony Duclair Makes Solid First Impression in Tampa Bay
Secondary scoring at even strength remained a concern for the Lightning all season. The top line featuring Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point did the heavy lifting on offence, scoring points at superstar rates. To address this imbalance, BriseBois grabbed a skilled winger from the West Coast at a discount in exchange for Jack Thompson and a third-round draft pick in 2024.
Anthony Duclair looks fantastic with the Lightning in his first two games. He’s registered two goals and an assist for three points in two games since the trade. Furthermore, both of Duclair’s tallies came at even strength. Duclair was a massive success for the Florida Panthers in recent years. Can the pending free agent replicate his elite play on the West Coast of Florida this time?
What Made Duclair Successful in South Florida
After scoring 20 goals and 44 points his sophomore season, Anthony Duclair took three seasons to return to form. After another 40-point season in 66 games in 2019-20, Duclair signed with the Panthers as a free agent. The 28-year-old forward had his two best seasons in Florida, recording a career-best 30 goals and 58 points in 74 games during the 2021-22 season. While Duclair always had the talent to become a top-line forward in the league, what clicked with the Panthers?
To start, Duclair earned power play time with the Panthers, recording nine goals and 21 points on the man advantage. The Canadian forward also spent time with elite forwards Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau at 5v5 for most of the season. History shows the recipe to maximize Duclair’s skill set appears to be elite talent on his line and power play time. Luckily, the Lightning can offer “The Duke” both. Before we look at where he fits with the Lightning, let’s analyze stats from his first two games in Tampa Bay.
Duclair’s Stats With Tampa Bay So Far
Outside of the points, Duclair is a puck-hound on the forecheck. His speed and anticipation allow him to win puck races and establish possession for his line in the offensive zone. Moreover, Duclair posted elite on-ice stats. While the sample size is small, Duclair controlled 61.55 percent of the expected goal share on-ice (61.55 xGF%). The 28-year-old also controlled 60% or more of the scoring chances and high-danger shot attempts at 5v5. Duclair played with two different line combinations, so which role suits the newest member of the Lightning best heading into the playoffs?
Potential Linemates for Duclair
After analyzing what made Duclair successful in the past and watching last night’s game, it’s clear Duclair can make a name for himself on the top line next to Kucherov and Point. The two superstars are not known for their forechecking abilities, as both utilize the rush as their primary source of offence for years. However, Duclair is dynamic because he can play off the rush or the forecheck. Therefore, whenever this line has to dump the puck, Duclair can get the wheels turning for puck retrievals and possession in the offensive zone. He seems to be the perfect complimentary piece, which allows Brandon Hagel to drive the second line.
Lastly, the Lightning have not found a true net-front player for their top power-play unit. While the top guys can find the back of the net on the man advantage, Duclair has experience in front of a lethal power play. Jon Cooper can place Duclair down-low for quick goal-line touches and rebounds. Overall, Anthony Duclair seems to be a vital asset for the Lightning heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Cooper must continue to use him on the first line.
Raw stats via NaturalStatTrick & EvolvingHockey
Lightning tracked stats via Last Word (Kyle Pereira and Jack Pallotta)
Main Photo Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
