The Detroit Red Wings would not be a good fit for Anthony Duclair.
A recent trade proposal floating around the internet sees Detroit acquiring Duclair from the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick and Jonatan Berggren.
Let’s break it down. Duclair is now entering the second year of his four-year, $14 million contract with the New York Islanders, but his trajectory has already been tested. A leg injury suffered in late October sidelined him for roughly 15 games.
But when Duclair finally returned to the lineup, the expectation was for him to quickly re-establish himself as a dynamic presence. Instead, his play was particularly unimpressive.
Head coach Patrick Roy, never inclined to temper his frustration, issued a blistering public assessment of Duclair’s play. He labeled the forward’s performance “god-awful,” dismissing any suggestion that the lingering effects of his earlier leg injury provided a legitimate excuse.
In doing so, Roy exposed deeper concerns—skating precision, fluidity of movement, and the consistency of Duclair’s overall commitment.
Athletes often respond to such criticism in one of two ways: as fuel for renewed focus or as a weight too heavy to bear. In Duclair’s case, the pressure proved overwhelming.
Rather than sparking a resurgence, the critique preceded a step back, resulting in his decision to take the final eight regular-season games off on personal leave.
McLellan is an old-school coach
Detroit head coach Todd McLellan has long cultivated a reputation for holding players publicly accountable—though his approach is measured rather than bombastic, especially when compared to Roy’s.
Duclair, however, has shown a clear disliking to such demands, or, at the very least, a clear inability to process such demands. When pressed by coaches to elevate his game or embrace accountability, his response has too often been resistance rather than resilience.
Against that backdrop, the idea of Duclair joining the Red Wings is irrational. Yes, Detroit holds $12 million in cap space, but investing it in a player whose commitment wavers under scrutiny would be a misuse of resources.
What’s the point in adding a talent who, when confronted with adversity, has already shown a willingness to step away from the fight?
This may sound harsh, but it’s necessary to confront the reality: why did Detroit struggle so severely last season? The answers are clear—defensive breakdowns and an abysmal penalty kill.
The team lacked aggression, structure, and assertiveness. Duclair does not address those deficiencies; if anything, he compounds them. That is the blunt truth, however uncomfortable it may be.
Detroit can do better.
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