Report: GM playing tough with top prospect

Just a couple seasons ago Arizona Coyotes forward Anthony Duclair was seen as an important player in the team’s future. Two inconsistent campaigns later however and there are fans and analysts who wonder if he’ll even be on the team at all, let alone become a core member. Maybe that’s why Coyotes GM John Chayka has decided to take such a hard stance on negotiations with the 21 year-old winger.

According to azcentral.com reporter and Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan, early negotiations between the team and the player indicate that Chayka isn’t willing to go beyond a two-year commitment on a new deal. “It’s going to be a one- or two-year deal,” Chayka said when speaking with McLellan. “That’s where we’re at. We’ve talked. We understand where each other’s at.”

Duclair, you may remember, was the centrepiece in a huge 2015 trade that saw the Coyotes depart with star defenseman Keith Yandle. In his rookie season he managed 20 goals, but since then he’s suffered through inconsistent play and has seen himself scratched on multiple occasions and has even been sent to the AHL with the hopes of rectifying his play. It hasn’t worked and the team is left grasping at straws.

While it’s clear that Duclair is a skilled player with natural goal scoring ability, his performance in 2017-18 will go a long way toward determining his NHL future. A strong rebound performance and he could suddenly find himself in the team’s long-term plans once again. Another dud and he could be on the outside looking in.

Mark Duclair down as a player to watch closely in 2017-18.