Duclair Turns Down Huge Offer, Did He Sabotage His Own Free Agency?

What would happen with Anthony Duclair in NHL free agency since the forward was representing himself was already going to be interesting to watch. If a report is accurate about how things have gone for the agent-less scorer thus far, this story just got a lot more interesting.

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According to Ottawa Senators insider Brent Wallace, Duclair is believed to have turned down a lucrative deal from the Sens that seems to be far more money than he’s going to get should he sign elsewhere. Wallace was on Ottawa’s TSN 1200 and reports that the Senators offered three years and and average annual value of $4.25 million to stick with the club. Duclair said no, believing he could do better on the open market.

If anything has been proven in free agency thus far, it’s that forwards are not worth what they used to be. There have been a number of scorers left on the open market because teams aren’t willing to spend big money for long-term contracts and those who have signed, have signed for less than most expected. Why Duclair thinks he’s the exception to the rule, especially considering his inconsistent play and the sheer number of teams he’s played for is, frankly, baffling.

Even stranger, according to Wallace, Duclair is holding out for a $5 million per year deal.

Duclair Is Going to be Waiting A While

If a player like Mike Hoffman is still on the board, Duclair — who had a nice total of 23 goals last season and should get a raise over his $1.65 million — isn’t getting signed if his ask doesn’t change.

Not only that, but he’s proven to be a handful. That will limit the options he has of teams willing to invest in him, even if they have the wherewithal to do so.

He’s on his sixth team in just his seventh years and he decided he knew better than agents did about how to navigate this tricky flat salary cap landscape. It’s proving to be a gamble that did not pay off.

Next: Will Torey Krug Live up to Expectations in St. Louis?