Anthony Duclair Moves Up NY Islanders Lines Ahead of Home Opener

Per reports, NHL veteran Anthony Duclair has caught New York Islanders Head Coach Peter DeBoer's attention.

Duclair moved up lines accordingly, and is now with Simon Holmström and JG Pageau on the third line. This follows the winger's effectiveness on the fourth line against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Islanders season opener on Sept. 30. Duclair was originally signed by the Isles as a free agent on July 1, 2024; he's known for his speed and has 341 career points across 165 goals and 176 assists.

DeBoer said Duclair has easily earned the opportunity to move up lines.

"He's been great. He might have been our best forward the other night. He's using his speed. He's playing inside," DeBoer said on Duclair moving up in lines. "He's winning puck battles. He's defending hard. I've been really, really happy with him. That's why he's getting that opportunity."

Full Islanders Lines at Oct. 2 practice

Via beat reporter Stefen Rosner, the full Islanders lines at practice on Oct. 2 were the following:

Heineman-Horvat-Palmieri
Eklund-Ritchie-Schenn
Holmstrom-Pageau-Duclair
Palat-Cizikas-Maccelli
E: MacLean

Pelech-Schaefer
Romanov-Pulock
Stanley-DeAngelo
E: Kessel-Mayfield

Sorokin
Varlamov

Anthony Duclair Has Earned Elevated Role With Islanders

Duclair was originally drafted in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft, and has been active in the League since the 2014-15 season.

Last year with the Islanders, the forward posted 12 goals and 15 asists across 62 games of action.

Duclair stated he's felt "great" as the 2026-27 has begun.

"I felt great. I felt motivated to just get out there and use my speed," Duclair said of his season opening performance.

Jan 21, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair (11) is pictured during a game against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Other line adjustments for the Islanders included Victor Eklund going to the second line and Matias Maccelli moving down to the fourth.

Maccelli saw 19 shifts across 17:39 TOI at the Maple Leafs, also earning two PIM. He was most recently signed as a free agent by the Isles on July 1, 2026.

"We're looking for chemistry on all our lines," DeBoer also said per NHL.com. "We're looking to see what clicks. We're going to keep trying things until we get some combinations that that feel really good. I don't like to flip lines around."

"I don't think it's any secret we haven't scored a lot of five on five goals, even through exhibition," DeBoer also added. "So we've got to find some some combinations that work there."

Next Up for the Isles

The Islanders will see action in hosting the New Jersey Devils for the home opener this year at UBS Arena.

Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST on Oct. 3. The Isles are seeking their first win of the year after losing to the Maple Leafs, 2-1.

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