Off to a red-hot start before being injured during a 2-1 overtime win over the Flyers on Nov. 24, Duclair has recorded 17 points in 19 games this season, including lighting the lamp nine times.
In his return, he'll skate on a line alongside Carter Verhaeghe and rookie Anton Lundell.
"Obviously, we're excited to have him back," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "He brings a lot of speed to our lineup. We've missed him here these last couple weeks."
Despite getting Duclair back, the Panthers will be missing a few other players tonight.
A sparkplug on the fourth line this season, forward Ryan Lomberg will be unable to suit up against Ottawa after being placed in the NHL's COVID protocol this morning. Additionally, defenseman Gustav Forsling could potentially also miss the game with a non-COVID illness.
With Lomberg unavailable, Brunette said Aleksi Heponiemi has been called up from the AHL.
"That speaks to our depth in this locker room," Duclair said of Florida's ability to battle through injuries. "All the guys have stepped up and filled in some roles. It's good to see. Especially when you're hurt, you like to see your team win and carry that momentum. We've done just that."
In first place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 18-5-4, the Panthers are returning home after picking up three out of a possible six points on their recent three-game road trip. Closing out the trip, they took a 3-2 loss in Colorado -- a game that felt like it belonged in the playoffs.
Trailing 2-0 in the third period against the Avalanche, Joe Thornton and Brandon Montour scored within a span of 2:34 to make it 2-2. And even after Andrei Burakovsky completed his hat trick to make it 3-2, the Panthers nearly tied the game once again on multiple occasions.
Excited for some home cooking, the Cats have gone 14-1-0 in their own barn this season.
"It's nice to be back home and play for the fans here," Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen said. "It's a big challenge for us. They have a young, skilled team, so we have to be ready for that."
Young, skilled and on quite the roll.
Coming out on top in four of their last five games, the Senators enter tonight's matchup riding high following a 4-0 win over the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Lightning on Saturday.
Helping take down Tampa Bay, Brady Tkachuk led the charge on offense with his first-career hat trick, while Anton Forsberg turned aside all 25 shots that came his way to post a shutout.
Although their record stands at 8-16-1, the Senators clearly aren't lacking skill.
"They're young, they're carefree and they've got some skill," Brunette said of the Senators, who have also defeated the Hurricanes and Avalanche in December. "They're a dangerous team."
Up front, Drake Batherson leads Ottawa in scoring with 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists), while Tkachuk is behind him in second with 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists). Josh Norris, meanwhile, paces the team with 12 goals and has found the back of the net in four of the last five contests.
Between the pipes, Spencer Knight, who is 6-3-2 with a .904 save percentage, will start for the Panthers, while Forsberg, who is 5-4-0 with a .904 save percentage, could go for the Senators. Returning home after a week on the road, the Cats know they'll face a tough test tonight.
"You get off the road and in the first game at home is always a tough one," Brunette said. "Tonight is no different. I said to the guys that this could be our toughest game all year here. We've really got to make sure we focus on doing the right things."
