The Islanders Get The Return Of A Key Player After Long Absence With Injury

On Tuesday morning, Islanders forward Anthony Duclair reached another milestone in his road to recovery, skating with his teammates for the first time since departing with an injury in the third period of the Islanders' 4-3 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 19.

He sported an orange non-contact jersey, joining fellow injured teammate Adam Pelech, which is a good sign toward his return to action, but he is not game-ready just yet.

The soon-to-be 29-year-old winger was one of the big off-season acquisitions for the Islanders, signing a four-year deal worth $3.5 million annually.

Prior to his injury, Anthony Duclair was off to a pretty good start, recording two goals and an assist in five games playing on the top line with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.

Mathew Barzal has also been out a while due to an upper-body injury he suffered back on October 30.

Duclair, who first began skating on his own on Nov. 25, is now able to come off LTIR at his discretion. He's already met the minimum amount of time he needs to spend on LTIR, via league rules, which is at least a 10-game and 24-day period of time.

The Islanders won't have any issue fitting him under the cap with more than enough salary cap space but will need to make a corresponding roster move to fit him into the lineup.

With Duclair continuing to get back to health, he could be just what the Islanders need to bounce the puck back into the opponent's net, considering how injuries have tested their core.