Florida Panthers coach praises Sharks forward still finding his way in San Jose

Anthony Duclair had 99 points in 137 regular season games with the Florida Panthers, a 0.72 point per game average the San Jose Sharks would gladly take

Anthony Duclair is still finding his way with the San Jose Sharks, but there’s no doubt he made an impression on his former coach with the Florida Panthers.

Duclair was on long-term injured reserve for the majority of the 2022-2023 season as he recovered from a torn Achilles. Duclair had nine points in 20 regular season games after returning to the active roster in March following the trade deadline before becoming an important part of Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Duclair, who was acquired by the Sharks from the Panthers in July, was still with the Panthers following his injury, which occurred during 2022 off-season training and necessitated surgery. Now, as Duclair and the Sharks prepare to play the Panthers on Tuesday, his positive attitude, as well as his production, is appreciated.

“Big grin. “We loved having him around,” Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice said of Duclair, whom he coached for one season. “There are guys who get hurt and you want them in and out of your building by 9:30 (a.m.) so they don’t bring everyone else down.” He was the polar opposite. We just wanted him to be there. What a wonderful joy for the game and laughter, and we certainly miss that part.”

Duclair had four goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games, averaging slightly more than 15 minutes of ice time. Duclair scored a breakaway power play goal in Game 3 of Florida’s five-game series win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, which the Panthers won 3-2 in overtime. In the series, Duclair also had three assists.

“He was good with us here,” Maurice remarked. “It was a difficult injury for him to recover from, but he did.” Sometimes the most important thing you can do for a team is to put others in better positions to play. When he returned, we had Nick Cousins go in with (Sam) Bennett into (Matthew) Tkachuk. So he provided us with more depth, allowing other players to play with better players.”

Duclair scored 99 points in 137 regular-season games last season in Florida, a 0.72 point per game average that the Sharks would like to see him match this season.

However, Duclair and his Sharks teammates have spent more time defending than attacking. According to the NHL’s player tracking statistics, Duclair has spent 43.3 percent of his time at even strength in the defensive zone and 37.4 percent in the offensive zone.

As a result, Duclair has only one goal and five shots on goal for the Sharks, who are 0-4-1.

The Sharks and Duclair, a pending unrestricted free agent, have a few months to decide if they want to stay together in the long run. Both parties are keeping their options open, but if the Sharks decide to trade Duclair before the NHL trade deadline in March, he could fetch a good return.

Duclair is still hoping to find his groove.

“I’m just looking for a full 60-minute effort for myself,” Duclair said after scoring against the Boston Bruins last week. “It’s always nice to see the puck go in the net.” It boosted my self-esteem. Hopefully, this is the beginning of something special.”

LORENTZ ON THE SHARKS: Forward Steven Lorentz, who was traded to Florida in exchange for Duclair, said he enjoyed his time in San Jose despite the team finishing with a 22-44-16 record.

Lorentz improved as the season progressed for the Sharks, finishing with career highs in games played (80), goals (10) and points (19). He also became one of the Sharks’ key penalty killers, an area in which San Jose struggled in a 5-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday.

“It was entertaining. “It was difficult,” Lorentz admitted. “We weren’t the best team in terms of standings. But, at the same time, I learned a lot from the guys there. We were a younger group that struggled to find our identity throughout the season.”