SUNRISE, Fla. -When the NHL's free agency period opened all the way back on Oct. 9, the first phone call Anthony Duclair had was with new Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito.
Having crossed paths when both were a part of the Columbus Blue Jackets organization -- Duclair as a player and Zito as the team's assistant general manager -- during the 2018-19 season, the two already had a strong built-in relationship and mutual respect for one another.
Right off the bat, Duclair had a good feeling about what was brewing down in South Florida.
On Heels of All-Star Season, Duclair 'Ready to Go' with Panthers
"We had a really good talk and felt really confident about Bill's vision, his mindset and how he wants to build this team," Duclair said in a teleconference on Saturday afternoon. "I obviously know him from the Columbus days and we sort of have that relationship. We had numerous conversations, probably the most I had with any GM. I just felt good vibes from the beginning."
In the weeks and months that followed that first call, Duclair said his line of communication with Zito stayed open and active. Sometimes they'd talk about a potential contract, while other times they'd chat more personally about how far they'd both come since their time in Columbus.
All the while, the duo seemingly inched closer and closer to turning their reunion into a reality until Duclair finally put pen to paper on a one-year deal with the Panthers on Thursday night.
"I just felt like this was the right fit for me and decided to pull the trigger on Florida," Duclair said.
One of the top free agents left on the market, Duclair is heading to Sunrise on the heels of one the best offensive seasons of his budding career. Earning a trip to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, he tallied 40 points -- including a career-high 23 goals -- in 66 games with the Ottawa Senators.
Suiting up in 87 games with Ottawa over the past two seasons, he lit the lamp 31 times.
"Anthony is a dynamic and highly skilled player who is capable of being a dependable offensive contributor for our team," Zito said in a release. "He possesses tremendous speed and goal scoring ability and earned an opportunity to be named an NHL All-Star last season. We're excited to welcome Anthony and look forward to what he can add to our team."
Asked about his breakout 2019-20 campaign, Duclair believes he took a "huge step" forward.
"I think I'm still a growing player, still have got lots to learn," Duclair said. "I'm ready for the new challenge that's going to be coming my way. Last year, I was sort of on a prove it, 1-year deal. I think I showcased what I can do at times. Like I said, I just want to build off what I did last year and continue growing and just continue to be myself. I want to bring that aspect of my game to Florida and do the best I can to help the team win as many games as possible."
When it comes to getting acclimated to his new surroundings, Duclair, who's now been a part of six teams since entering the NHL in 2014-15, will have more than a few familiar faces in Florida.
In addition to having already worked a bit with Zito in the past, he's also previously shared an NHL locker room with a handful of current Panthers players throughout his career, including Alex Wennberg, Sergei Bobrovsky, Markus Nutivaara, Vinny Hinostroza, and Keith Yandle.
In 2018-19, he also played under Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville in Chicago.
"I'm going to a team where I'm pretty familiar with a lot of guys," said Duclair, who also knows Jonathan Huberdeau quite well from juniors. "That's going to be great. Just looking at the lineup, it's obviously a very talented lineup, a lot of depth in the forward group and in the defensive core, obviously an A-class goalie in Bob [Bobrovsky] and a lot of prospects coming up."
As to where he'll fit into the lineup, Duclair is eager to help wherever he can.
"I had lots of time to dissect all the lineups in the league and just see where I could fit," Duclair said. "Obviously [Aleksander Barkov and Huberdeau] are pretty eye-popping, and I'd love to play with some of those guys and learn from those guys even if I'm not playing with them. Being around every day at practice and seeing them work is definitely going to be beneficial for me. Whoever Coach Q puts me out there with, I'm going to try to do my best to make it work."
After an unprecedented offseason, Duclair is also excited just to be able to play hockey again.
Due to the fact the Senators did not qualify for the NHL's "Return to Play" tournament this past summer, Duclair hasn't played a competitive game of hockey since the league cancelled what was left of the 2019-20 regular season back in March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Weathering what he describes as "probably the longest stint in my life I've ever had without playing an actual game," he spent most of this hiatus doing what he could to stay sharp at home in Montreal before eventually traveling to Arizona to "up the tempo" with some group workouts.
Now a member of the Panthers, Duclair is excited to hop on a flight and travel to South Florida on Sunday to begin preparing for his return to the ice and a highly-anticipated 2020-21 season.
"Obviously as soon as training camp starts it's going to be a whole different ballgame," he said. "With just the excitement of the season starting, I think all the guys are going to be ready to go."
