The Colorado Avalanche have re-signed forward Jonathan Drouin to a 1-year, $2.5 million deal, according to Pierre LeBrun.
Drouin has had a unique path to this point. The third-overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Drouin has bounced around the league throughout his 10-year career. He is coming off his best season as a pro, setting career-highs in assists (37) and points (56) with the Colorado Avalanche.
Drouin Can Be a High-End Player But Was Inconsistent Before Joining Avalanche
Drouin is an interesting player. He has a high-end skill set going all the way back to his draft year. He has speed, tremendous hands, and offensive creativity when he is at his best. Unfortunately, he hasn’t managed to find consistency in his career, though he has had stretches of success.
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After a disastrous final four seasons (six overall) with the Montreal Canadiens, Drouin was given a chance to find his career footing again with Colorado and former Halifax Mooseheads teammate Nathan MacKinnon.
Drouin became a fantastic secondary scoring option in the process. He saw time on the power play and at even strength, scoring 19 goals and hitting the aforementioned career highs. When he is on and his effort is there, Drouin flashes the elite talent the Tampa Bay Lightning saw when they took him third overall.
His role will be important and keeping his compete level high is perhaps the most important thing. There have been far too many times throughout his career when Drouin simply disappeared and looked uninterested on the ice.
Drouin Will Fit Well on Avalanche Middle Six, Power Play
This will be a pivotal point in Drouin’s career. The Avalanche gave him a chance to revitalize his career after injuries and inconsistency hindered his six seasons with the Canadiens. He responded with the best season of his career so far.
The Avalanche knows they aren’t getting the dynamic scorer everyone assumed him to be back in 2013. That said, he fits into the middle of the lineup as a solid playmaking option. Drouin should also slot in on the power play in some capacity, adding to his value.
Hopefully for both parties, Drouin turned a corner, got out of his funk, and has found his game. The last time he signed a sizeable deal – six years, $33 million with the Canadiens – it turned out to be an albatross. Now is the time for him to prove he is in a new, better chapter.
