Anthony Duclair on top-line opportunity: ‘Something I don’t take for granted’

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Anthony Duclair will start on Jonathan Toews’ line against the Islanders. (Getty Images)

Sitting next to Jonathan Toews in the dressing room was one thing. Playing on a line with him is quite another.

“It’s awesome,” Anthony Duclair said before the game against the New York Islanders on Saturday. “It’s a great opportunity for me and something I don’t take for granted, for sure.”

That has been Duclair’s mind-set since he was acquired by the Blackhawks on Jan. 10: Don’t take it for granted. Duclair wanted out of Arizona because he wanted a larger role, with more high-end linemates, in a playoff race. Chicago checks all those boxes.

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With that in mind, Duclair didn’t want to squander his second bye week in as many weeks (he was flying back from Mexico during the Coyotes’ break when he was traded). So rather than spend another week on the beach, Duclair stuck around Chicago, found a place to live, worked out on the ice with the Hawks’ strength and conditioning team and did some cramming on the Hawks’ systems.

“In a way, it was kind of nice to have a week break here to try to fit in here and get to know the city a bit,” he said. “Now it’s just a matter of winning every game.”

Coach Joel Quenneville continued to preach to Duclair to stick to his strengths, which is playing with speed and skill, especially now that he’s on a line with Toews and Brandon Saad.

“I watched them growing up, and it’s pretty cool to be sitting next to them, to learn from them, to learn how they prepare themselves before games,” Duclair said. “They can teach me a lot of stuff, for sure.”

Gus is back

The last time Erik Gustafsson played in a game for the Blackhawks, it was Game 7 against the Blues in the first round of the 2016 playoffs.

“It’s great to be back,” said Gustafsson, who had a goal and an assist in the 7-3 loss Saturday.

Gustafsson was paired with Brent Seabrook, with whom he played during his first stint with the Hawks. General manager Stan Bowman compared Gustafsson favorably to Jordan Oesterle, another 25-year-old with extensive AHL experience, an offensive style and the versatility to play on either side. 

Oesterle went from the No. 8 defenseman to the No. 2 defenseman in a flash, and he’s now playing more than 20 minutes a night. That’s Gustafsson’s goal, as well.

“Oh, yeah, I want to play every game and help the team make the playoffs,” he said. “And I’m going to do my best out there, and whether it’s 10 or 20 minutes, we’ll see.”

Impressive rookie

Islanders rookie Matthew Barzal, who has 16 goals and 32 assists in 47 games, has drawn comparisons to Patrick Kane for his speed, puck-handling and creativity. Barzal already has two five-point games, something Kane didn’t do until this month.

“He’s a very special player,” Kane said. “Very smooth with the puck. The thing I like about him is coming in as a young guy, he’s playing with a lot of confidence. Sometimes these high picks or these highly touted guys come in and they’re forced to play a different game. Seems like he’s played the same game his whole life, and he’s doing that in the NHL. So he’s a really fun player to watch.”

Roster report

Artem Anisimov missed his 10th consecutive game but is targeting a return Monday against the Lightning. To make room for Gustafsson, Connor Murphy was a healthy scratch for the fifth time. Michal Kempny and Tomas Jurco were also scratched.

Follow me on Twitter@MarkLazerus.

Email: mlazerus@suntimes.com

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