Islanders' Patrick Roy plans to apologize to Anthony Duclair in person

Patrick Roy isn’t sure where Anthony Duclair will fit into the Islanders’ forward lines given the players recently hired general manager and executive vice president Mathieu Darche has imported. But Roy does know he needs to make amends to Duclair.

“I’m certainly going to apologize to him for my comments,” Roy said on Thursday as the Islanders concluded their summer prospect development camp at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “I mean, I’m capable of recognizing when I make some good [comments] and I’m also capable of recognizing when I make bad ones and I would like to apologize to him, but in person, not on the telephone.”

Duclair, who signed a four-year, $14 million deal last summer to be a top-six wing, requested a leave of absence and missed the final eight games of his injury-plagued first season with the team. That immediately followed Roy calling out Duclair’s performance in a 4-1 loss to the Lightning at UBS Arena on April 1 as “God-awful,” adding he was “lucky to be in the lineup” because he wasn’t “competing” nor “moving his feet.”

“I spoke to him the day he left,” Roy said. “I haven’t talked to him since because it’s not something I want to do over the phone. I will meet with him in Montreal or wherever he’s going to be and we’re going to have a good conversation. I’m certainly going to apologize to him for my comments.”

But Roy was less certain when asked specifically what he expected from Duclair this coming season. Duclair had seven goals and four assists in 44 games last season after injuring his groin five games in and remained slowed when he returned.

“It’s hard for me to answer your question today because we have a lot of guys in now,” Roy said. “But what I love about this is it’s going to be a very interesting training camp.”

Darche brought in speedy top-six wing Jonathan Drouin on a two-year, $8 million deal on Tuesday and KHL standout Maxim Shabanov on a one-year, entry-level deal worth $975,000 on Wednesday. He also acquired energetic wing Emil Heineman from the Canadiens in the Noah Dobson trade.

Roy said he would start training camp with Drouin on top-line center Bo Horvat’s wing while moving Mathew Barzal off Horvat’s wing and back to centering a second line.

Darche told Newsday on June 6 Duclair had reached out to him when he was named Lou Lamoriello’s successor as GM.

“Everything is well,” Darche said that day. “Every team, every now and then, has little issues like that,

“He seemed in a good mood, so I sure hope he’ll be all ready to go for training camp.”

Roy said his relationship with the new GM, a fellow French-Canadian, has been strong. Darche announced quickly at his introductory press conference that Roy would return despite the Islanders going 35-35-12 and missing the playoffs by nine points in his first full season behind the bench.

Roy said he was told he was being retained almost the next day after Darche was hired on May 23.

“We met,” Roy said. “He had to do his due diligence about what he wanted to do. That’s the type of person he is. He always tries to make the right calls and I totally respect that.”

Roy said it was Darche’s decision to fire assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin, both ex-Devils who played when Lamoriello ran that franchise. Ray Bennett and Bob Boughner were hired as replacements.

“We communicated on who I thought would be a good replacement,” said Roy, confirming Bennett would run the power play and Boughner would be in charge of the penalty kill while he and assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers handle the five-on-five play.

Roy said he plans to spend much more time working on special teams during September’s training camp than he did last season.

He said he is confident in his defense corps even after Dobson was traded to the Canadiens and was happy Darche re-signed Tony DeAngelo to a one-year, $1.75 million deal and Alexander Romanov received an eight-year, $50 million contract.

The Hall of Fame goalie was also asked what former Kings backup netminder David Rittich signing a one-year, $1 million deal meant for Semyon Varlamov, who missed the final 57 games and underwent a procedure on his knee in December.

“We’ll see how Varly does,” Roy said. “A guy missing that long coming back, it’s hard on any player. My feeling was Mathieu wanted to have someone just in case.”

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.