Preview/Lines #17: Duclair Describes Strep Throat Ordeal, Losing 10 Pounds

Anthony Duclair came down with an illness at the worst possible time.

Or best, depending on how you look at it.

His dad, Wendell, was in town from Montreal for the San Jose Sharks’ dad’s trip to watch Anthony play.

He only got to see him in one game before his son came down with strep throat.

“It was tough timing and I felt bad, obviously, because my dad coming down is a once-a-year type of thing. Sometimes it’s a couple of years till the next one, because you never know when it’s gonna happen,” Duclair said.

”It sucked that he came all the way down and only got to see me play in one game, but at the same time, he was there, taking care of me.”

For Duclair, a visit from his dad could not have come at a better time. It reminded him of being a kid again, when his parents would take care of him.

When the team arrived in Vegas for their clash with the Golden Knights on Friday, Duclair said he had no energy. He had started feeling unwell the night before against the Edmonton Oilers, but just powered through it. But he couldn’t this time.

”It was tough for me to go to the bathroom at times,” he said.

The symptoms lasted well past the team’s 5-0 loss to the Golden Knights, so Anthony and Wendell spent an extra night in Vegas before flying back to San Jose rather than making the trip to Anaheim with the team.

”Originally, I wanted to go to Anaheim, see how I felt and maybe play Sunday, but when I woke up, I just knew I couldn’t do it,” Duclair said.

”I went back home, saw a doctor and then assessed from there.”

Duclair had to miss one more game, against his former Florida Panthers, before he was finally ready to get back into the lineup.

He will make his return tonight against the St. Louis Blues.

Even after losing 10 pounds because of the illness.

”I couldn’t eat, so it’s one of those things where it takes a couple more days to get back to it,” Duclair said, sharing that he had gained back about five pounds. “Obviously trying to eat more and gain back my weight and my energy, for sure.”

SAN JOSE SHARKS (2-13-1)

The Sharks held an optional skate today. David Quinn did confirm that Kaapo Kahkonen is starting, and that Danil Gushchin, Mikael Granlund, and Jan Rutta are all in the line-up. So yesterday’s practice lines, which didn’t include Granlund and Rutta, may not be telling.

Anthony Duclair should return too, after a three-game absence.

Vlasic, Knyzhov, Labanc may be scratches, based on who’s left out here. Benning, MacDonald, Barabanov skating after practice too

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 16, 2023

ST. LOUIS BLUES (8-5-1)

#stlblues during morning skate in San Jose:
Buchnevich-Thomas-Kapanen
Saad-Schenn-Kyrou
Toropchenko-Hayes-Vrána
Blais-Sundqvist-Neighbours
Alexandrov

Leddy-Parayko
Krug-Faulk
Scandella-Perunovich
Tucker-Bortuzzo

Hofer (first off the ice)
Binnington pic.twitter.com/aKiv2o5OLf

— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) November 16, 2023

Where to Watch

Puck drop between the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues is 7:30 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it live on NBC Sports California. Listen to it on the Sharks Audio Network.