NY Islanders Veteran Gets Season Started on High Note

Feb 26, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a New York Islanders logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NY Islanders Veteran Gets Season Started on High Note

Originally posted on New York Islanders On SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 2, 2026 6:00 AM ET

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The 2026-27 NHL regular season opener didn’t go how the New York Islanders had hoped, losing 2-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

An early 2-0 deficit proved too much for the Islanders to climb out of, as they took until the third period to start to find any groove on offense. While the loss was disappointing, there were a few positives to take away from the performance.

Holding a high-octane offense such as the Maple Leafs scoreless for more than two periods in a row is an impressive feat. There are a few things to clean up, but head coach Peter DeBoer looks to have found some line combinations he can lean on in the future.

At the start of the game, veteran Anthony Duclair was handling fourth line work. However, with the team’s offense struggling, he was rewarded for the offensive chances that he was creating, as DeBoer moved him up to the second line with Cal Ritchie at center and Matias Maccelli on the other wing.

Anthony Duclair stepped up for Islanders in season opener

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“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.”

After a disappointing 2025-26 season led to rumors swirling about Duclair potentially being a buyout candidate, this is exactly the kind of start he needed. He was challenged by DeBoer to get into shape over the summer and come into training camp prepared; he heeded that challenge and looks to have achieved his goal.

Against Toronto, Duclair tied for the Islanders' lead in shots on goal with four, along with Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri. However, there was a large discrepancy in playing time, which is why the veteran’s performance was so eye-catching.

Hear from Emil Heineman, Bo Horvat, Matthew Schaefer, and Head Coach Pete DeBoer after tonight's game in Toronto ⬇️
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 1, 2026

Duclair had only 12:17 of ice time, resulting in a TOI of 20.5%, per Hockey Stats . Horvat received more than 10 minutes of ice time, registering 22:31 with a TOI of 37.5%. Palmieri was at 18:35 with a TOI of 31%. Horvat did record an assist in the game on the shorthanded goal by Emil Heineman.

Against the Maple Leafs, there were only three forwards who received less ice time than Duclair: Victor Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas, who played 11:58, 10:06 and 9:29, respectively.

It will be interesting to see if Duclair sticks with a higher line when New York takes the ice again on Oct. 3, when they host the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena for their home opener. The team is looking for a spark on offense, and he looks capable of providing it, with the second-best xGoal Share among both teams at 86.7%.

This article first appeared on New York Islanders On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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