Anthony Duclair is a player who the Tampa Bay Lightning would very likely want to keep. After they acquired him from the San Jose Sharks, he immediately fit into their top six and produced well, posting 15 points in 17 regular-season games.
Yet, the Lightning have just over $5 million of cap space and still need to re-sign Steven Stamkos. As a result, the Lightning may have no choice but let Duclair walk this offseason.
If the Lightning can't find a way to re-sign Duclair, he will surely generate plenty of interest around the NHL. This is because he is an impactful sniper coming off of another solid season. In 73 games this season split between the Sharks and Lightning, he had 24 goals and 42 points.
One specific club that could very well push to sign Duclair if he hits the market on July 1 is the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs were among several teams interested in Duclair before his trade to the Lightning, and they still could undoubtedly use a player like him in their middle six.
The Maple Leafs should be in the market for help on the wing if Tyler Bertuzzi and/or Max Domi walk this offseason. Duclair would be an excellent option for them to target and could thrive playing with top offensive talents like Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
The Maple Leafs will need to watch closely in the Duclair sweepstakes, as it is already known that they like the player. Let's see what happens with the 2013 third-round pick from here.
