There is, however, a sense of self-urgency that comes with being the first player to sign a contract with the Golden Knights, which he did March 6, 2017. There's also the element of unfinished business for the 22-year-old center, who missed four months last season with a shoulder injury.
He has put in a lot of time and effort to return healthy this season, and has plenty of motivation to push toward an eventual full-time job in the NHL given that the Golden Knights advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season.
"Ever since [the season ended] I've been looking forward to [development camp in June] and to just being back on the ice," Duke said. "This being the second time around, I know a lot of guys from last year were a little wide-eyed. But being back around, a lot of guys know what to expect.
"The biggest thing I learned is there is just so much incentive to put the work in to have the opportunity to put that jersey over your back. To witness what happened this season with the fans and the city and the team makes it really easy walking into training every day."
By all accounts, the work is paying off.