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Islanders sign Anthony Duclair to 4-year deal, get much-needed 1st-line winger

Anthony Duclair Islanders
Apr 27, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Anthony Duclair (10) warms up against the Florida Panthers in game four of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

For years the New York Islanders have been searching for a top-six winger on the open market and it appears they got him, signing veteran left-winger Anthony Duclair to a four-year deal on Monday.

According to reports, the deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $3.5 million. 

The 28-year-old has often been linked to the Islanders for years as a repeated member of the NHL rumor mill whether it be on the trade block or free agency. This will be Duclair’s ninth team in 11 professional seasons — a career that began on Broadway with the New York Rangers — but now he has the security of a long-term deal. 

A Quebec native, Duclair has provided consistent goal-scoring in recent years regardless of where he has played. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, he has posted an 82-game average of 27 goals while playing with the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks, and Tampa Bay Lightning. That included a 31-goal campaign with Florida in 2021-22.

He was limited to just 20 games in 2022-23 after suffering an Achilles injury but bounced back to score 24 goals with the Sharks and Lightning this season.

With New York, Duclair provides a dynamic, goal-scoring left-winger to pair on the first line with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, one of the most glaring holes on the Islanders’ roster in 2023-24. Experiments with Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom, and even fourth-line center Casey Cizikas failed to provide the punch needed for a top line. 

For more on Anthony Duclair and the Islanders, visit AMNY.com