San Jose Sharks add scoring punch, acquire Anthony Duclair
The San Jose Sharks on Saturday acquired veteran forward Anthony Duclair from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Steven Lorentz and a draft choice.
Looking to add some veteran offense, San Jose general manager Mike Grier sought out Duclair from the salary-cap-crunched Panthers, who are two weeks removed from losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.
"Anthony will bring speed and tenacity to our lineup on a nightly basis," Grier said in a news release. "He has a well-rounded game along with the ability to score, and we are excited to have him join our organization."
Duclair, 27, will play out the final season of a three-year, $9 million contract with the Sharks, and short of working out a new deal with Grier in-season, the veteran will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. His deal this season will carry a salary cap hit of $3 million.
Lorentz, 27, had 19 points for the Sharks across 80 games last season. And the draft choice will come in the 2025 fifth round.
Returning from an Achilles tendon injury, Duclair skated in just 20 games, and struggled, for the Panthers last season. He finished with two goals and nine points as Florida snuck into the postseason as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Much like his team, though, Duclair found his footing in the playoffs, helping Florida to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996. He finished with four goals and 11 points in 20 games as the Panthers knocked off the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes, before bowing out against the Golden Knights.
Duclair is well-traveled, having appeared in 490 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators and Panthers. He has 122 goals and 261 points to go along with a plus-47 rating.
He will be missed in Florida, both on and off the ice. Among his charitable efforts is the Anthony Duclair Foundation, which aims to bring hockey to underserved, diverse communities.
He timed the debut of the foundation earlier this year to align with the NHL's All-Star Weekend in South Florida as well as the start of Black History Month.
"We have a lack of representation in this league right now. It's tough to grab onto something when you don't know that it's there," Duclair told ESPN in February. "This isn't just going to be another player foundation. I'm going to be really hands-on with this. I'm going to be there as much as I can, and make sure that I'm present for these kids."
