Rumor: Healthy scratch on Sunday night is trade related.

The San Jose Sharks, and more specifically Sharks head coach David Quinn, made a curious decision on Sunday night when it was announced that veteran National Hockey League forward Anthony Duclair would be made a healthy scratch. 

The move was ostensibly done to punish Duclair for a lazy zone exit that would cost the Sharks a goal against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night, a goal that would have made a huge difference in what proved to be a 1-0 Coyotes victory.

While that may very well have been the reason behind Quinn's decision to sit Duclair for a game, there is also now a growing sense that Duclair is a player being looked at as a potential trading chip. On Monday morning, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman cautioned that Duclair was a player worth watching following the scratch on Sunday.

"The other thing, San Jose, they had some pretty good games this week," said Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. "Anthony Duclair healthy scratch on Sunday night, that's worth watching too. Because Duclair can help someone."

Friedman's co-host, NHL reporter Jeff Marek, aslo co-signed those comments.

"Pay attention to that," said Marek. "Any team that needs speed on the wing, that's a lot of them if not all of them."

In spite of a horrible start to the season for the Sharks, Duclair has still managed to pick up 6 goals and 5 assists for a total of 11 points over 27 games this season.