New York Rangers Have Tough Decision to Make with Anthony Duclair

The New York Rangers are smitten with Anthony Duclair, but distance ultimately makes the heart grow fonder. The Duke has certainly impressed in training camp and the preseason, but it is far from a guarantee that he will make the opening-night roster.

You would think after three goals and two assists in three games it would be a no-brainer to keep him, but nothing in New York is ever easy...except trying to get New York Mets tickets the past few seasons.

Getting back to Duclair—the kid is in a unique situation, because he's a 19-year-old that was drafted out of the CHL, and therefore, he can't be sent to the AHL this season. He has one year of CHL eligibility to go through until he's legal to play in the AHL. His performance to date has many convinced that he's NHL ready, but there are some who would say that sending him back to Junior is the right way to go.

No player was ever hurt from additional development, but the quandary for the Rangers is: Should they keep him on the roster because he is already burning a year off his entry-level contract, or should they take the safe route and send him back to the Quebec Remparts?

I firmly believe that the best players should be the ones that make the final cut, but in Duclair's situation, it isn't so simple. While he may be one of the best players right now, he may not be one of the team's best players by game 25 or 35.

Usually teams have flexibility with their prospects, and hotshot players can be reassigned to the minors if they aren't quite ready for the NHL. This is what happened with Michael Del Zotto and Chris Kreider, but Duclair unfortunately wouldn't be able to follow their development plan.

However, the Rangers could keep him in the NHL as long as they want before returning him to the QMJHL, because no matter where he plays this season, he will lose a year off his entry-level contract. The only issue with this is that the Rangers currently are at their contract limit, so they would need to shed a body from their reserve list to accommodate Duclair.

This would be the best course of action because it would give Duclair a chance to prove himself at the NHL level, and it would show the team where he is physically. There is no doubting Duclair's offensive abilities or his speed, but he needs to show that he can produce consistently. 

That doesn't mean he would have to score a goal or record an assist every game, but he needs to show that he can handle everything that goes along with being an NHL player. A full NHL season includes 82 regular-season games and maximum of 28 playoff games. That equates to 110 potential games.

The most games Duclair has ever played in during a season of hockey was 74, and that was back in 2011-12. An NHL game is also more taxing than a QMJHL game, so that is another thing that needs to be considered.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe the coach has an obligation to put the best players on his roster, but Alain Vigneault's hands are tied when it comes to Duclair. It doesn't make sense to keep him on the roster—and bench him if he struggles around game 35 or so—because that could hamper his development.

If Duclair has a struggle with the Remparts, he will have the flexibility to work through it while playing and continuing the develop. While the Rangers would love to see him do that at the NHL level, other things take precedent.

Vigneault's first priority is helping the Rangers win games. He can try to help Duclair be a part of that, but there are no guarantees. Although he is certainly fond of Duclair now, he may not feel the same way during the middle of the season.

So after all this deliberation and thought, we arrive at the place in which we started. The Rangers have a talented youngster that could be NHL-ready. The team wants to ice the best roster, but there is no good failsafe if Duclair struggles. So...what should happen with Duclair?

Ultimately I think the Rangers keep him for the first nine games. Let Duclair show what he can do against the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild.

This would give him a month to show he belongs, and then the Rangers could make a decision. Although they have the option to keep him longer—and return him at their leisure—that could really derail Duclair's progress.

No one is saying that Duclair is mentally fragile, but a midseason demotion back to Junior isn't always the best situation to deal with. Just ask the Buffalo Sabres about what happened with Mikhail Grigorenko when he was re-assigned from the team last season. Interestingly enough, Duclair was Grigorenko's teammate.

Duclair is a talented player, and he will be a full-time NHLer at some point. It may be this year, or it may be next year. Jonathan Drouin of the Tampa Bay Lightning was in a similar situation last year, and sending him back to Junior for one more year proved to be a wise move. 

While I think the Rangers should give Duclair nine games before sending him back, I am not in charge of hockey operations for the Rangers. There are a number options on the table, but I can say this much: The decision won't be easy.