Duclair to take time away from Islanders after speaking with Roy
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Anthony Duclair will be taking time off from the New York Islanders, head coach Patrick Roy announced Thursday.
Duclair was not on the ice for practice Thursday morning, two days after Roy laid into him for his effort in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After the skate, Roy said he and Duclair had a long, positive conversation earlier in the morning, with the forward informing him he needed time off to reflect. Roy agreed to that, and the team will honour the request.
Duclair, 29, was a minus-1 and had just 12:15 of ice time in Thursday's loss - the Islanders’ sixth straight as they sit five points out of the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
“He was god-awful,” Roy said in his post-game availability at UBS Arena. “He had a bad game. That’s why I didn’t play him a lot.
"He is lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s just how I feel.
“He’s not skating, he’s not competing, he’s not moving his feet,” Roy added. “He’s not playing up to what we expect from him...I think it’s an effort thing.”
Duclair has seven goals and 11 points with a minus-15 in 44 games with the Islanders this season. He signed a four-year, $14 million contract with the Islanders as an unrestricted free agent last July.
In 607 NHL games with the Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes and New York Rangers, he has 153 goals and 314 points.