With the Stanley Cup playoffs just around the corner, Florida Panther Anthony Duclair is heating up at the right time! Brought in on a one-year “prove it” deal, Duclair has been worth every penny. Even though Duclair hasn’t been scoring like many NHL fans are used to, he has still been a treasured part of this Panthers team. With seven-point in his last six games, Duclair gains confidence just in time for the Stanley Cup playoffs to start.
Anthony Duclair Playing as Advertised
Coming into the start of the shortened 2020-21 NHL season, many Panthers fans around Sunrise were very concerned with the departures of Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov. Both guys finished last season third and fourth in points for the team, respectively. Hoffman and Dadonov are known for their ability to find the back of the net. Both players dropped significantly compared to last season. While Hoffman is doing better than Dadonov, both players are not the same compared to past years. This shows that Bill Zito has made yet another wise decision in building this Florida Panther team.
Brining in Anthony Duclair, Zito knew that he has all the makings of a regular top-six player. A former NHL-All Star for the Ottawa Senators, Duclair has been a bit of a journeyman during his time in the NHL. He was playing on six different teams in seven years. Yet, with the way he has been playing, that will all come to an end.
Despite suffering two separate injuries this season, both happening in March, Duclair has made the most of every time he is on the ice. Playing in 34 games this season, Duclair has six goals and 18 assists for 24 points on top of 14 minutes in penalties. Not to mention, he ranks fourth on the team in Corsi For percentage at 45 percent and relative Corsi For percentage at 4.6, which leaves him sixth on the team in this category.
Here’s a fancy bar graph for the more visual readers from Evolving Hockey!
Duclair Playing His Style of Game
Diving deeper into the number behind Duclairs season, the 26-year old Canadian is doing exactly what he was brought in to do. Duclair uses his speed to create time and space not just for himself but for those around him. Whenever Duclair is on the ice, the opposition’s defence must be aware of where he is at all times. He has an incredible shot and silk smooth hands to match with it. Now that Duclair is on a line that allows him to be the shooter that he is. Anthony seems even more comfortable out on the ice.
We could sit here and rattle off countless numbers from MoneyPuck on how he ranks top ten on the team in all the advanced stats like Expected Goals For Per 60 (5th), Goals Per 60 (10th), Assists Per 60 (2nd), and Points Per 60 (4th). Yet, it seems that would not do him enough justice. As you read this, Duclair is 7th on the team in points, 8th in goals, and 6th in assists. All while playing at least five games less than a lot of the guys on the team; Anthony Duclair is doing exactly what he brought in to do at the end of the day, creating offence. Currently riding a seven-game point streak, Duclair is heating up just in time for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Anthony Duclair is now on a seven-game point streak! 👏@aduclair10 | @FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/KBtERP95ba
— NHL (@NHL) April 21, 2021
