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Report: Coyotes, Duclair close to finalizing one-year deal (Updated: It’s official)

Arizona Coyotes v New Jersey Devils

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 25: Anthony Duclair #10 of the Arizona Coyotes skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on October 25, 2016 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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With training camp approaching, Anthony Duclair was one of the few remaining restricted free agents in the league.

That changed Sunday.

Craig Morgan of NHL.com reported that the forward had agreed to a new deal with the Coyotes, adding it’s for one year at $1.2 million.

Updated: The Coyotes have since announced the deal.

“We are very pleased to sign Anthony to a new contract,” said general manager John Chayka in a statement.

“Anthony is a highly skilled forward with great speed and scoring ability. We are confident that he can be an impact player for our team and look forward to having him in our lineup this season.”

Duclair, now 22 years old, scored 20 goals and 44 points during his first full NHL campaign with the Coyotes in 2015-16. But last season, his production dipped (five goals and 15 points in 58 games) and he spent time in the minors before getting recalled to Arizona.

A one-year deal would certainly fall in line with what Chayka thought was ideal for both Duclair and the Coyotes when it came to his next contract. For the player, that should give him added motivation to rebound from a difficult season and show management that he can be a contributing member of the team’s future.

“That’s just the reality of the situation,” said Chayka in July. “I like ‘Duke’ as a player a lot, as a person a lot, but he had a rough year. I think it’s more just about getting him back on the horse, getting him going. For both the team and the player, short-term is the best.”

Related: Under Pressure: Anthony Duclair