Prospect on the Move: Anthony Duclair to Arizona

As Arizona Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle is shipped to the New York Rangers, they are receiving top 19 year old prospect Anthony Duclair.

Duclair, a left wing, played in 18 regular season NHL games with the Rangers this season. In those games he had seven points, six of them being assists. He also played with the championship junior Canadian team this past December when he had eight points in seven games (four goals, four assists).

Duclair was the 80th overall pick (third rounder) in the 2013 draft to the Rangers.

Since he is under 20 years old and Canadian, the Rangers could not send their prospect to the American Hockey League with their team in St Johns. Instead, they had to return him to his junior team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Quebec Remparts.

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Last season he had 50 goals and 49 assists in 59 games with Quebec. He also accumulated 56 penalty minutes. The Montreal native was on the Quebec all star team last year as well.

Duclair was a junior star right away, averaging over a point per game in his first season with the Remparts at just the age of 16. He is one of the most explosive players in the Quebec league, and has gotten better every year. With 99 points last season, it was his career high.

The prospect is signed through the 2016-2017 season now with the Coyotes.

Duclair has a lot of speed and is known mostly for his shot. He has terrific skills skating and creating his own space to get shots off. He shoots more than he passes, but still was able to accumulate 49 assists last year. Duclair was arguably the Rangers best prospect.

Arizona has restocked their entire system now with trading away Yandle and also forward Antoine Vermette to Chicago yesterday. They have added two first round picks, a defenseman in Klas Dahlback who will likely stay up this season, and Duclair who could be in the NHL next year or at least available with their AHL club.

Max Domi, Arizona’s top prospect, played with Duclair in the World Junior Championships with Canada this year when they won the gold medal. They were on the same line and will probably work together again again soon, likely next season with the AHL Portland Pirates.

If Duclair is not on an NHL roster to start 2015-2016, he will at least get a shot at some point in the season. The Coyotes are a rebuilding team and they’ll give their prospects a chance.