The Colorado Avalanche were eliminated in Game 6 on home ice in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars. The loss will sting for this talented group of players, but now the work begins for management. One of the players they will have to decide on is forward Jonathan Drouin.
Entering the season, Drouin was a player worth watching as NHLRumors.com wrote in an off-season series looking at the more valuable free agent signings in the 2023 off-season.
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This was a great call because he thrived in Colorado playing alongside former Halifax Moosehead teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who is up for the Hart Trophy. In 79 regular-season games, Drouin recorded 56 points, which is a career-high (19 goals and 37 assists, another career high).
Drouin finally saw his potential playing with the right players in Jared Bednar’s system. Unfortunately, he only played in three playoff games. He got an assist in all three games but was injured in the first-round series and returned in Game 4 of the second-round series against Dallas.
After the loss in Game 6, Jonathan Drouin made it clear he loves playing in Colorado after some tough years with the Montreal Canadiens.
“Awesome. Obviously, had tough years in Montreal, so to come here and play with this kinda find my way as the year went on, it was was cool,” Drouin told the media after Game 6. “It’s a great bunch of guys.”
When asked about re-signing with the Avalanche in the off-season, Drouin would love to stay in Colorado.
“I’d love to come back here and sign here and come back. I loved my time here, my family loved their time here, it’s a great group,” Drouin told the media after Game 6. “Hopefully we can figure something out and find a deal to come back.”
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This was a sneaky good signing by Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland in the offseason. Colorado has other holes to fill on the roster as well. The Avalanche might have found their second-line center in Casey Mittelstadt, who is a pending RFA to go along with UFA defenseman Sean Walker.
But you have to imagine the Avalanche will make Jonathan Drouin a priority, as he really fits in nicely with this club.