The Florida Panthers, despite making what many have dubbed the biggest blockbuster trade in the modern-day NHL, are nowhere close to where they were a year ago today. To say that last year’s President’s Trophy winners have struggled this season is a bit of an understatement, though the reason(s) why may not entirely rest on the shoulders of GM Bill Zito.
The aforementioned blockbuster trade brought a legitimate superstar onboard in Matthew Tkachuk but left the defensive corps in shambles (except for you, Josh Mahura, you’re an absolute gem) as Mackenzie Weegar was shipped off to the Calgary Flames alongside franchise mainstay Jonathan Huberdeau. Couple this with the awful injury luck the Panthers have had this season at nearly every position, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster.
This is where Anthony Duclair and his injury timetable come in. The insanely fast and talented winger has been huge for Florida since he arrived in 2021. Last season, Duclair notched a career-high in both goals (31) and points (58). Duke fit right in immediately, and when finally permitted to cook in Sunrise, he had no problem putting all burners on high and throwing down on the scoresheet night after night.
As a side note, Duclair has been mentioned more than once in the trade deadline rumor mill, but I won’t comment on that aside from a huge, resounding “No.” Duclair has tremendous upside despite his current injury and is on a sweetheart of a deal that he himself brokered. No way Zito will part with that, especially while the Cats are out of a playoff spot.
Having Duclair out of the lineup all season due to an Achilles’ tendon injury has played no small part in their fall from grace over the past eight months. The Panthers, despite having Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe lighting the lamp seemingly at will all season, have barely managed to put together any winning streaks of meaning and are currently sitting at 18th in the league on the outside looking in at a playoff position at 4th in a far more competitive Atlantic Division than most had anticipated.
The clouds parted a bit yesterday, and a small ray of sunshine peaked through: Anthony Duclair skated at practice sans a non-contact jersey. Head coach Paul Maurice acknowledged that it was a “huge step” and that Duke “is very close” but that he wouldn’t quite be ready to rejoin the team on their current road trip.
Could Duclair’s seemingly impending return be the spark the Panthers’ offense needs to right the ship and make one last push for a playoff spot? If I were a betting man, I’d say so. The guy seems to be beloved in the locker room and by the fans, and he’s proven that he can put the puck in the back of the net with flair and consistency. The Florida Panthers seem to have flair in droves, but consistency? Outside of a couple of players, that key ingredient just hasn’t been there on a nightly basis. Once Duke gets back into the lineup, keep an eye out for the Cats to give the rest of the Division a run for their money in the latter half of the season. We just might see them in the playoffs once again, and who knows? Maybe they’ll be able to handle the Tampa Bay Lightning this time.
As always, folks, thanks for reading! If you’d like to reach out to me directly to offer your thoughts on this bit of writing, feel free to do so @natt_mid on Twitter!
