Colorado took a chance on Jonathan Drouin when it signed him to a one-year deal last offseason but it paid dividends in the end. The top-six forward had a career year with the Avalanche and wants to remain with the team, but becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
"Obviously I had tough years in Montreal so to come here and play with this team, find my way as the year went on, it was cool. Great bunch of guys, the staff is awesome. It’s a great place to play hockey," the Ste. Agathe, Quebec native said after the elimination loss to the Dallas Stars on May 17.
Drouin spent six years with the Montreal Canadiens before his contract expired and the Avs scooped him up. His performance the last few seasons with the Habs was not as great as expected of him and it took a toll on his life on and off the ice .
Related: Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin enjoying change of scenery
The 5-foot-11, 198 pound forward has achieved two 53-point seasons in his 10-year career, most recently in 2018-19, but has not broken 30 since then. He posted 56 points with a career-best 37 assists and a second-highest career goals (19) in the 2023-24 season.
"Obviously, it was a good year for me, definitely took some steps forward toward my game and how I want to play. Credit to a lot of people here, from their coaching staff to the players, it's a hell of a group and a lot of good players," Drouin said.
The 29-year-old was drafted third overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013 — the same year his former junior hockey teammate Nathan MacKinnon went first overall to the Avalanche — and spent three seasons with the Bolts.
Drouin and MacKinnon won the Memorial Cup in 2012 and both were highly-touted coming into the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, but their careers went different directions. Drouin did not enter the NHL right away as the Lightning organization did not feel he was ready for the big league and sent him back to the junior league.
MacKinnon admitted to having a hand in bringing Drouin to the Avalanche and the positive reconnection of the two former QMJHL Halifax Mooseheads was evident from the start.
"He's proved a lot of people wrong, I think and you know just really happy for him," MacKinnon said on April 10, when Drouin surpassed his career-best points. "All the work he's put in this season, he gets better every week it seems like right now and it's fun to watch him work every day."
Drouin played the majority of the season on the top line with MacKinnon and progressed well after a rocky start to the season with his new team.
"He was a great teammate, and I love the improvement in his game, the growth in his game on both sides of the puck. He's well liked in our locker room. Certainly like his ability and his talent and the way he played for us this year, so hopefully we can get it done," head coach Jared Bednar said.
Drouin's agent, Allan Walsh, respectfully declined The Hockey News' Colleen Flynn's request to discuss his client's negotiation status with the Avalanche but there are most likely plenty of conversations about his future there. His single-year contract was for $825,000 but his improvement and career year increased his value quite a bit. It will be a difficult feat for Avalanche management to figure out room for him in the salary cap with a significant increase in pay.
"I'd love to come back here and sign here and come back. Like I said, I've loved my time here, my family's loved their time, it's a great group," Drouin said.
Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland will hold a media conference on Thursday morning and Drouin's future will most definitely be on the agenda.
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