Drouin skated on the top line during the first day of training camp Thursday, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Drouin began his Avalanche career in a prominent role, skating with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Drouin is being given an opportunity to rekindle on-ice chemistry with MacKinnon, with whom he played a decade ago in Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The two were part of a team that won a Memorial Cup in 2013. "There's still stuff we've got to work on," Drouin said. "I know how Nate plays, but it's just the way Rantanen plays. Those two guys are very easy to play with. They're elite players in this league, and it's just fun to be on that line." Whether Drouin remains in that plush role with the two talented forwards is up to him.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Agrees to one-year deal
Rotowire
Drouin inked a one-year, $825,000 contract with Colorado on Saturday, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports.
Drouin had two goals and 29 points in 58 contests with Montreal in 2022-23. He should have an opportunity to serve in a middle-six capacity with the Avalanche next season.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Feeds Harris early
Rotowire
Drouin logged an assist, two shots on goal and two penalty minutes over 17:24 of ice time in Monday's 4-3 shootout win over the Sabres.
Jordan Harris jumped up from the point, and Drouin set him up perfectly for the game's first goal just 1:22 into the first period. His vision and passing ability has led to 26 assists, which is the second-most on the team behind only Nick Suzuki (38), in 24 fewer contests. Drouin's in the final year of a deal that he never lived up to, so he might be on the market this offseason. Still only 28 years old, Drouin should generate interest.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Makes amends with goal
Rotowire
Drouin scored a goal on one shot over 15:36 of ice time in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Tampa Bay.
Drouin beat Andrei Vasilevskiy short side after a nice feed from Denis Gurianov to give Montreal a 2-0 lead in the first period. After watching Saturday night's game in Tampa from the bench as penance for missing a team meeting, Drouin was given ice time Tuesday and made amends with his second tally of the season. It was the fourth straight game (in which he was allowed off the bench) with a point for Drouin, who has been productive since the mid-season break with 15 points over 19 contests.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Dresses, doesn't play
Rotowire
Drouin dressed for Saturday's game but did not play in Montreal's 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay.
Drouin was present on the bench only to fulfill a roster requirement. This was punishment for missing a team meeting earlier this week, per Eric Leijon of the Montreal Gazette.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Sets up two in win
Rotowire
Drouin had two assists and four shots on goal over 15:51 of ice time in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Penguins.
Drouin helped out on two of Montreal's four first-period goals. He won a puck battle in the corner against two Pittsburgh defenders that led to Denis Gurianov's strike, then a offensive-zone faceoff win was the key on Joel Edmundson's marker with 11 seconds remaining in the first. Stuck on one goal and a career-low 1.7 shooting percentage, Drouin has been effective as an enabler with 24 assists (45 games), second most on the club behind Nick Suzuki (30 in 68 games).
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Reaches 20-assist mark
Rotowire
Drouin produced an assist, two shots on goal and two blocked shots in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights.
Drouin finished the Canadiens' road trip strong, picking up three points over his last two games. He set up a Mike Matheson tally early in the third period Sunday. For the season, Drouin has been far more of a playmaker than a finisher, recording one goal, 20 assists, 55 shots on net, 23 hits and a minus-13 rating through 40 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: One of each Friday
Rotowire
Drouin scored a goal, dished an assist and added two PIM in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Ducks.
Drouin opened the scoring just 1:16 into the game, and he also helped out on a Nick Suzuki goal in the final minute. The tally was Drouin's first goal of the season, coming on his 53rd shot. He may open the floodgates now that he has his first after such a brutal drought. The 27-year-old is at 20 points and a minus-14 rating through 39 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Delivers assist in win
Rotowire
Drouin had an assist and one shot on goal over 14:48 of ice time in Friday's 5-2 win over the Flyers.
Drouin snapped a three-game pointless run when he helped on Jesse Ylonen's third-period marker that increased the Canadiens' lead to 4-1. He's registered six points over the seven games since returning from the break, putting a sheen on his trade value ahead of next week's deadline. The 27-year-old never met the expectations Montreal held when it signed him to a six-year deal in 2017. Drouin could be attractive to a team in need of an offensive forward.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Three helpers in Tuesday's win
Rotowire
Drouin notched three assists, one on the power play, in Tuesday's 4-0 win over Chicago.
He's still looking for his first goal of the season, but Drouin has been far from quiet lately. The 27-year-old has five helpers in the last two games, and despite missing the back half of January with an upper-body injury, he's racked up 10 assists in his last eight contests. With the Canadiens' offense showing some life and Drouin maintaining a spot on the power play, he could be in line to supply some fantasy value.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Contributes two assists Sunday
Rotowire
Drouin registered two assists in Montreal's 6-2 victory over Edmonton on Sunday.
Drouin's first helper was recorded while Montreal had the man advantage. He has no goals and 14 assists in 30 games this season, including seven power-play points. Drouin entered the contest averaging just 13:52 of ice time this season, but at least that's included 2:32 per game with the man advantage. As long as the 27-year-old keeps his power-play role, he has the potential to do okay offensively.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Removed from IR
Rotowire
Drouin (upper body) was removed from injured reserve Friday, per CapFriendly.
Drouin has missed the last seven games while dealing with an upper-body issue. He tallied seven assists in nine games prior to suffering the injury. The 27-year-old will likely return to the lineup Saturday against the Islanders, but his status may not be official until pregame warmups.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Practicing in regular jersey
Rotowire
Drouin (upper body) is practicing in a regular jersey Thursday, Eric Engels of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Drouin has missed the last seven games with the injury. He has yet to find the back of the net in 28 games, but does have 12 assists, including five in his last five games. He could return to the lineup as early as Saturday against the Islanders, the Canadiens' next contest.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Moves to injured reserve
Rotowire
Drouin (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per CapFriendly.
Drouin was ruled out through the All-Star break earlier this week, so this move to IR is simply to free up a roster spot for the Canadiens. Alex Belzile was called up from AHL Laval in a corresponding move.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Facing extended absence
Rotowire
Drouin (upper body) will be sidelined until the All-Star break.
Drouin will be sidelined until Feb. 11 versus the Islanders at a minimum. Given the expected length of his absence, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 27-year-old forward land on injured reserve in the coming days. Rafael Harvey-Pinard will likely continue to occupy a bottom-six role while Drouin and Joel Armia (upper body) remain on the shelf. Drouin's picked up 12 helpers through 28 games this season.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Not playing Tuesday
Rotowire
Drouin (undisclosed) will miss Tuesday's game versus the Jets, Guillaume Lefrancois of La Presse reports.
Drouin was deemed a game-time decision after missing Tuesday's morning skate. His absence will force the injury-ravaged Canadiens to deploy seven defensemen again. It's unclear if Drouin will be ready to play Thursday versus the Panthers.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: In doubt Tuesday
Rotowire
Drouin was held out of Tuesday's morning skate ahead of a matchup with Winnipeg due to an undisclosed injury.
Drouin's absence would be another blow to an already thin forward group that saw Joel Armia (upper body), Jake Evans (lower body) and Juraj Slafkovsky (lower body) all placed on injured reserve Tuesday. If able to play, Drouin would likely step into the first-line role that was being filled by Armia and could see time with the No. 1 power-play unit as well.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Logs assist in top-line duty
Rotowire
Drouin had an assist, three shots on goal and one hit over 16:38 of ice time in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Islanders.
As usual, Drouin opened on the fourth line, but Jake Evans' lower-body injury forced adjustments. Coach Martin St. Louis, who deployed 11 forwards and seven defensemen to start the game, moved Kirby Dach to second-line center, while Drouin and Jesse Ylonen rotated shifts on the first line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Drouin assisted on Suzuki's third-period goal for his seventh helper in the last eight games. The Canadiens will be right back at it Sunday with a late afternoon game in New York against the Rangers, which will provide an immediate glimpse at how St. Louis opts to deploy lines in the expected absence of Evans.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Three helpers against Preds
Rotowire
Drouin notched three assists, two on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 win over Nashville.
He had a hand in Montreal's final three goals of the night, including both of Cole Caufield's tallies. Drouin is barely seeing the ice at even strength these days and is still looking for his first goal of the season, but his spot on the power play is keeping his fantasy value afloat, and the 27-year-old has six helpers -- including three with the man advantage -- over the last seven games.
... See More... See Less
Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin: Helps on game-winner
Rotowire
Drouin had an assist, three shots on goal and one hit over 12:50 of ice time in Saturday's 5-4 win over St. Louis.
Drouin spent most of the game on the fourth line, but late in the third period, he replaced Juraj Slafkovsky on the second line and eventually set up Josh Anderson's game-winning tally. Drouin's backhander was stopped by Jordan Binnington, but Anderson was there to pounce on the rebound. Drouin's TOI/game is 13:51, well below what he's been accustomed to the previous five seasons with Montreal, but head coach Martin St. Louis understands he can be of value in situational hockey. Despite the minimal role on a team focused on developing younger talent, Drouin remains relevant as a member of the power play and is often on the ice late in close games.
