When Jonathan Drouin joined the Colorado Avalanche on a one-year contract this summer, it was a feel-good story. He would be reunited with Nathan MacKinnon – his high-flying teammate from all the way back in their days of playing in juniors together in the early 2010s. It took a little longer than they would have hoped, but Drouin has turned into the consistent and dangerous scorer the Avalanche were looking for.
The result has been a lot more reliable depth scoring for the Avs, and it has helped solidify the second and third lines as the playoffs approach. Drouin took on the one-year contract as kind of a “prove it” deal, and he’s settled into becoming a dangerous asset for Colorado. His perseverance earned him the nomination from the team’s local beat writers for the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy. It’s been a bit of a long road for Drouin, but his resurgence has proven a lot to the Avalanche, and to himself.
Avalnache’s Drouin Sizzling on Recent Surge
The last 17 games have been pretty good to Drouin and the Avalanche. Colorado has gone 12-4-1, and he has scored 20 points over that stretch. In those 17 games, he has gone without a point just five times, and has multiple points in seven of them. He also has four goals and six points over the team’s last six games – including a three-point night behind two goals against the Minnesota Wild on April 4.
The consistency has come from some soaring confidence and belief from his coaching staff and teammates. The biggest evidence of this was his play during Colorado’s eight-game winning streak in March. He had multi-point games in five of those wins – including a massive two goals and an assist in the Avalanche’s 6-4 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 24. Colorado trailed by four goals in that game, and all three of Drouin’s points came in the third period or overtime.
Related: Avalanche’s Drouin Finally Making His Mark
The season didn’t get off to the roaring start for Drouin the Avalanche would have hoped for. He scored just five goals and was barely averaging 15 minutes of ice time per night before the calendar turned to 2024. However, his recent play has put him on the brink of a career year. His 18 goals are the most since his career best of 21 in 2016-17, and his 52 points are one shy of his career high of 53 in both 2016-17 and again in 2018-19. That’s a pretty big midseason shift, and the result is a campaign Drouin desperately needed.
Why Drouin Needed a Season Like This
The friendship between Drouin and MacKinnon was a big talking point entering the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. The duo wound up both getting picked in the top three, and the NHL was supposed to be theirs for the taking. Drouin managed a 21-goal, 53-point season as a 21-year-old with the Tampa Bay Lightning – but was promptly traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Mikhail Sergachev the following offseason.
Things stagnated in Montreal for Drouin, as he only broke double digits in goals twice in six seasons with the Habs. He managed to equal that career high of 53 points in 2018-19, but didn’t even reach 30 points in any of the next four campaigns. He even stepped away from the team in 2021 to deal with mental health concerns. Sitting in free agency following last season, there were questions about whether or not he could be a regular contributor in the NHL anymore.
Related: 2013 NHL Entry Draft: Where Are They Now?
Enter the Avalanche. While Drouin had a slow start – just three points in his first 15 games – he steadily logged minutes and got his feet under him again. The recent numbers are stellar, and it looks like it was a matter of confidence. The team has given him an uptick in minutes, as well, as he’s logged an average of more than 23 minutes of ice time over the last seven games. Few players needed a season like this more than Drouin. He’s playing with renewed confidence, and has plenty to look forward to. He turned 29 on March 28, meaning he probably has plenty of hockey left to play. The second half of this season has shown he still belongs – something he might have had to prove to himself more than anyone else.
Why the Avalanche Needed Drouin to Come Through
The offensive spotlight in Colorado is hard to pry away from MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen – even with Gabriel Landeskog out for the season. The nightly consistency and output of the Avalanche’s three best players is difficult to ignore, and carries the team most nights. However, the depth scoring has been something the Avs have tried to address for the past couple of seasons. Not only did Colorado need a player that could keep up with MacKinnon and Rantanen on the top line, but they ideally also needed to contribute at close to the same level as Landeskog. That’s a pretty tall order.
Drouin’s overall season might not be on par with what Landeskog has been able to deliver when healthy, but his recent play has the Avalanche pretty dangerous going into the postseason. What started as a chance to reunite a couple of old friends has evolved into Drouin turning into a pretty deadly option on one of the league’s top-scoring lines. That balance up top has allowed Colorado to keep the second line of Valeri Nichushkin, newcomer Casey Mittelstadt, and Artturi Lehkonen together, and has solidified the bottom six, as well.
Related: Canadiens, Drouin Had Good Reason to Walk Away from Each Other
One of the most important things for any team going into the playoffs is reliability throughout its scoring lines, and Drouin is the piece that has allowed that to happen for Colorado. With only a handful of games left to play – and Colorado in a heated battle for the top spot in the Western Conference – that consistency will be needed. After six seasons trapped in Montreal, Drouin has a real chance with a real contender, and it has woken up his game. Combining that with some of the historic seasons some of his teammates are having, it might be enough to awaken the Avalanche for another Stanley Cup run.