Jonathan Drouin is another player for the Colorado Avalanche that struggled to stay healthy throughout the season. Drouin came to Colorado during the summer of 2023 with the hopes of a fresh start in Denver. Nathan MacKinnon also helped with the decision, since they played together in Halifax for the Mooseheads.

In his first season with the Avalanche, Drouin only missed three games during the regular season. This season was a completely different story. Drouin would suffer from multiple injuries that would bench him for almost half of the regular season.

When he was in the lineup, the former Moosehead was productive. He frequently played alongside MacKinnon. Time has not diminished their undeniable chemistry. When Drouin was on the second line or below, he often struggled. In 43 regular season games, Drouin tallied 11 goals and 26 assists.

Drouin and MacKinnon’s friendship was visible almost every day they practiced together. They would take half of the ice and work on one-timers together. Drouin praised MacKinnon for helping him learn the Avalanche system so quickly. There may be no room for Drouin in the top-six next season. Captain Gabriel Landeskog will be back to full-time status and take Drouin’s spot in the lineup.

Unfortunately, Drouin played a lot of time on the top power play unit. He would go through several games without seeing a point during the special teams’ play. The team’s issue, not limited to Drouin, caused Coach Ray Bennett’s firing.

Drouin’s wrist shot would come in handy for the top line, as he usually waited for the shot in the slot. His experience with deep runs playoffs could come in handy if he could stick around.

Jonathan Drouin will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. His ability to stay healthy this last season may weigh heavily on whether the Colorado Avalanche make an offer.