The Tampa Bay Lightning wanted to bolster their roster to chase another Stanley Cup. Tampa Bay is currently fighting for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Some of the team’s star players just haven’t played to their usual levels this season. Ahead of the NHL trade deadline, though, the Bolts swung a trade to pick up Anthony Duclair from the San Jose Sharks. Let’s hand out NHL trade grades and see how the veteran winger fits with his new team.
Full trade
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired forward Anthony Duclair and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the San Jose Sharks. In return, the Sharks acquired defenseman Jack Thompson and a 2024 third-round pick. There is no salary retention in this deal. Tampa Bay assumed all of Duclair’s $3 million cap hit.
Lightning trade for Anthony Duclair
The Lightning did well in this deal. Duclair started slowly in San Jose, as did the rest of the Sharks roster. However, he has found his stride in recent games. He hasn’t completely recaptured the form that made him a 31-goal scorer with the Florida Panthers. That said, he can still provide value to his team.
Duclair is a free agent at the end of this season. This is a pure rental for a Lightning team trying to avenge their first-round playoff exit from last year. The price wasn’t exactly low for Tampa, but it’s hardly steep. Tampa parts with a defenseman with a bit of upside and a mid-round pick, which is rather tame compared to some of their other deals.
Overall, Anthony Duclair should help the Lightning down the stretch. He didn’t cost the team much, either. Tampa Bay and their fans can breathe easy with this deal. And if it ends with another Stanley Cup, the cost is all the more justifiable.
Sharks trade Anthony Duclair
The San Jose Sharks are a bad, bad hockey team. Trading Duclair was an inevitability for them. At the NHL trade deadline, they got a decent price for the veteran forward. You could argue the team could have received more had they retained salary in this trade instead of the Tomas Hertl trade, but I digress.
The Sharks are taking a filer on Jack Thompson, a former third-round pick. The 21-year-old rearguard has flashed offensive ability in the AHL this year. He is currently on a 44-point pace in the minors this season. This offensive ability was also shown in the OHL when he played at a point-per-game pace for the Soo Greyhounds after a 2021-22 trade.
The Sharks traded their 2024 third-round pick last season, so they recoup it here. They now have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft, including two firsts. Overall, it’s a fine amount of capital for general manager Mike Grier. And he could have a potential NHL contributor on his hands with Thompson.
Final grades
Both the Sharks and Lightning receive fine grades for the Anthony Duclair trade. Tampa Bay adds a middle-six contributor and do so for a rather fair price. San Jose, on the other hand, receives an intriguing defenseman in Jack Thompson. He could contribute to their power play down the line if everything goes well. It’s a deal where neither team truly loses, even if it isn’t a trade that gets fans out of their seat in the same vein.
Tampa Bay Lightning grade: B
San Jose Sharks grade: B
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