After six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Jonathan Drouin is reuniting with former Halifax Mooseheads teammate Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado as the Avalanche announced they have signed him to a one-year deal worth $825,000.
While Drouin’s production has slipped quite a bit over the past few years, he is still a valuable depth option. He hasn’t broken the 10-goal mark in his last four seasons, and at this point in his career, he is a pure playmaker. He still has a lot of talent and certainly has 45-50 point potential with strong linemates, and with the injury bug passing through the Avalanche team, Drouin is a perfect signing for them. He can play anywhere in the lineup, and while it is true that he will benefit from great players on his line, he isn’t a liability in the bottom-six.
Adding a depth option like Drouin gives the Avalanche freedom to play with their lines and find out who mixes well together. It would make sense for him to get a look alongside MacKinnon yet again, though that may not be the long-term outlook. Colorado has a lot of new faces coming into town, and while it could mix with pre-developed chemistry, they have all been positive additions to the team.
Drouin Still Has Good Hockey Left
Despite only scoring 17 goals over his past four seasons and only playing 163 games over that span, a healthy Drouin can certainly bounce back. His assist totals have been fine, and on a Montreal team that didn’t have any consistent elite scorers over his tenure, you can expect that number to jump in Colorado.
Related: THW’s Free Agency Tracker
Drouin has missed a fair share of time with numerous upper-body injuries, including a wrist surgery that ended his 2021-22 season. He also missed some time on a leave of absence from the Canadiens and has been open about struggling with anxiety at points in his career.
Signing with the Avalanche in hopes of winning the Stanley Cup is a great idea for Drouin, and the fit could be spectacular. Already talking about MacKinnon, there are other players that he may fit well with. The Avalanche may have built a completely new third line with the acquisitions of Drouin, Miles Wood and Ross Colton, and these are three hard-nosed players that could be a great fit together.
This deal comes with little risk for the Avalanche. For Drouin, this could be exactly what he needs to get back on his feet and earn another, bigger paycheck next offseason. He can prove his worth in this league and gain some attraction from other teams ahead of next season, or even re-sign with the Avalanche if he enjoys it there. All in all, this is a perfect deal for both sides.