The 25-year-old forward could have become a restricted free agent July 28. He scored 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 43 regular-season games and no points in a six-game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup First Round.
"It's awesome," Duclair said Friday. "I'm very excited, very happy obviously to be back first of all, and to be back for another three years is just awesome news. I've obviously worked very hard for this and for the organization to give me a chance to come back for another three years is an honor and I'm definitely not going to take it for granted.
"If you look back at our series against the Lightning, it was a pretty tight series all the way through. We gave them a run for their money. From that, especially for myself and a couple of other guys on the team, that was our first experience playing in the playoffs and I think we can grow from that, we can learn a lot from that experience. We did lose to the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, so nothing to put your head down for. They were obviously a great team, but for us, I think it's only going to build our confidence moving forward. I'm just excited to keep continuing and going with this group here."
The Panthers finished 37-14-5 this season, second in the Discover Central Division with a .705 points percentage, the best in their history.
"Anthony brought great speed and skill to our club this season," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "We look forward to seeing him continue to be a creative playmaker for us on the ice and a valuable member of our community. We are thrilled to have him as a part of the Panthers family for years to come."
