Anthony Duclair has hardly found himself in a comfortable spot this season.
Remember: he chose to sign with the Blue Jackets in order to work with head coach John Tortorella, never one to shy away from holding players accountable. Tortorella has had Duclair under the microscope this season, giving him opportunity where he's earned it and pulling him back when it's time to teach.
The teaching has far outweighed the seizing of opportunity, and Tortorella is clearly frustrated with Duclair, who will be a healthy scratch on Monday night when the Blue Jackets face the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nationwide Arena (7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network).
Asked why Duclair is a healthy scratch again, Torts said: bad listening skills. Wouldnt elaborate.
— Tom Reed (@treed1919) February 18, 2019
The 23-year-old Duclair has appeared in 50 of the Blue Jackets' 57 games in 2018-19, and has scored 11 goals (four on the power play). His 5-on-5 numbers, though, tell a far different story: only one Blue Jackets skater with at least 30 games played has a worse shot share impact than Duclair's 47.2%, and that's Brandon Dubinsky.
Tortorella has vowed to work through the issues with Duclair, and has referred to healthy scratches as a last resort. It appears we're back to the "last resort" stage again.
Eric Robinson and Kole Sherwood remain in the lineup for the Blue Jackets after performing fairly well Saturday night in Chicago.
