The New York Islanders didn’t get the start they wanted in the 2026-27 NHL regular season opener, falling 2-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs after digging an early 2-0 hole.
For most of the night, the Islanders were chasing the game and didn’t really settle into anything on offense until the third period. Still, there were a few encouraging signs in a loss that otherwise left plenty to clean up. One of them came from a veteran who may have just earned himself a longer look up the lineup.
Anthony Duclair opened the game in a fourth-line role, but as New York searched for offense, head coach Peter DeBoer made a move. Duclair was bumped up to the second line with Cal Ritchie at center and Matias Maccelli on the other wing.
“He had good legs tonight,” DeBoer said, via Cory Wright of NHL.com. “I wanted to reward him. He was working and he was moving and he had some juice.”
That kind of night matters for Duclair, especially after a rough 2025-26 season that had sparked talk of him as a buyout possibility. DeBoer challenged him to get himself in shape over the summer and arrive at camp ready to go, and Duclair appears to have answered that call.
He finished tied for the Islanders’ lead with four shots on goal, matching Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri. The eye-opener was how he did it in just 12:17 of ice time, a TOI of 20.5% per Hockey Stats.
Horvat logged 22:31 and a 37.5% TOI, while Palmieri played 18:35 with a 31% TOI. Horvat also picked up an assist on Emil Heineman’s shorthanded goal.
Among New York forwards, only Victor Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas saw less ice time than Duclair, at 11:58, 10:06 and 9:29, respectively.
With the Islanders looking for more punch, Duclair’s role is one to watch when they return to the ice on Oct. 3 for their home opener against the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena. He already looks like someone who can give this group a spark, and his second-best xGoal Share among both teams at 86.7% backs that up.
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The Islanders recognized Rose for his long run behind the microphone, and several former and current players and colleagues took the chance to reflect on the way he covered the team and connected with people around it. For a fan base that grew up hearing him on television, the moment carried a familiar mix of gratitude and sadness, the kind that comes when a beloved voice is still very much present but about to become part of memory. [Read more 🡒]