The New York Islanders announced Monday morning that forward Anthony Duclair will be out long-term with a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old left in the third period of Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He needed help getting off the ice and did not return to the game. With the forward’s absence expected for multiple months, what can the team do to fill his void?
Solving the First Line’s Void
Duclair was a member of the first line alongside Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat, and the trio had great success in their five games together. They possessed a 64.6 expected (xG%) and 66.7 goals percentage (G%) in nearly 60 minutes, the most in either category on the team, according to MoneyPuck. Individually, Duclair had two goals and an assist. While nobody can replace the speed and scoring talent he provided, there are ways to fill the hole.
Simon Holmstrom replaced Duclair on the first line in the Islanders’ first-morning skate following the injury. Holmstrom, 23, has just two assists in five games this season but is an above-average skater with an underrated shot and hockey IQ. He has yet to make a major offensive impact at the NHL level, but his youth and potential offer hope that he can step up. In the worst-case scenario, he contributes solid two-way play or moves back to the third line, while the best case sees him scoring at a pace of 20-plus goals per season in Duclair’s absence.
Another option to replace Duclair is to reunite Horvat and Barzal with Anders Lee. In nearly 500 minutes together last season, the trio had a 57.7 xG%, 57.1 G%, and outshot opponents 614 to 526. Lee struggled to keep pace due to his slower speed, but he started the 2024-25 season with renewed energy and could be a candidate for the top line until Duclair returns.
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Maxim Tsyplakov is the third candidate to take Duclair’s spot on the first line. The 26-year-old rookie has a goal and two assists in five games and has garnered praise from head coach Patrick Roy given his work ethic, physicality, and two-way abilities. While he has made mistakes in the defensive zone, he has the confidence of the coaching staff, evident in his 17:42 average ice time. Though he is unlikely to join the top line against the Detroit Red Wings tonight (Oct. 22), he remains a strong candidate to step in later if the line struggles to find a solution.
Hashing Out the Bottom Six
With Duclair’s absence likely to be filled internally by someone from the middle six, the rest of the lineup will need adjustments. The current third line features Lee and Holmstrom on the wings with Jean-Gabriel Pageau down the middle. While Pageau’s spot is secure, Lee or Holmstrom will likely be promoted to the top six, opening a new competition for the third-line wing position.
Casey Cizikas was placed on the third line during Monday’s practice, but he is unlikely to be the long-term solution. The 33-year-old does not provide the offensive upside necessary to merit the role, and while he is a former-20 goal scorer, his early season struggles reason he is unlikely to have the career resurrection necessary for the promotion.
Oliver Wahlstrom had a rough start to the season on the fourth line, largely because he was asked to play a style of hockey that does not utilize his strengths. Though he is a below-average skater, like Lee, he has a strong shot and scoring ability. If Holmstrom gets promoted to the first line, a combination of Lee, Pageau, and Wahlstrom could make sense. While the two wingers may not be the fastest, they offer above-average scoring potential once they establish themselves in the offensive zone, adding upside to a part of the lineup that has struggled to produce in recent seasons.
The least likely but most exciting option to fill the gap on the third line is to promote a young forward from the Bridgeport Islanders. Rookie Alex Jefferies has three goals and two assists in four games to begin the season, and Matthew Maggio is up to three assists in his four games. Each winger offers different a distinct skill set, giving management options for the role.
Liam Foudy has an impressive preseason and would make sense to join the fourth line. However, he is unlikely to aid the question marks in the top-six.
Pierre Engvall also makes a lot of sense to join the third line, especially if Holmstrom is the one to earn the first-line position. In the four regular-season games Lee, Pageau, and Engvall played together last season, they had a 60.7 xG%. Together again in the playoffs, they had a 68.3 xG%, the highest of any playoff line combination on the Islanders. Although they only played eight games together—a very small sample size—the results were promising, which could prompt Roy to reunite the trio in an effort to stabilize the shuffled lineup.
Although general manager Lou Lamoriello has confirmed that a player will be promoted from Bridgeport, the unnamed player remains a mystery. There is speculation that Hudson Fasching will get the call-up, but he is expected to take over Julian Gauthier’s recently vacated role as the 12th or 13th forward, rather than fill Duclair’s spot. With various options available to Lamoriello, fans can only speculate about how the lineup will shape up until an official announcement is made.
