Jonathan Drouin has amply proven he deserves a new contract

Jonathan Drouin had his share of difficulties while playing for the Canadiens.

He wasn’t able to adapt to the high pressure of the Montreal market, so things didn’t end well for him in the city.

These things happen.

The Quebecer decided to bet on himself by signing a one-season, $825,000 deal with Colorado for the 23-24 campaign.

Above all, the deal allowed him to join his good friend Nathan MacKinnon, with whom he made the Q rain and shine more than 10 years ago…

And even if the season isn’t over yet, we can already say that Jo has won his bet (hands down, no less).

Drouin seems to have rediscovered his love of the game and has started producing offensively again. He has 41 points (12 goals) this season in 66 games, and he’s enjoying his time with the Avalanche because his teammates are benefiting from his vision, which has always been good:

Colorado forward Jonathan Drouin with 2 assists tonight, his 40th and 41st points of the season. This play by Jo on the PP is a thing of beauty.@jodrouin27@OctagonHockey pic.twitter.com/Xn61SXjwhP

– Allan Walsh (@walsha) March 20, 2024

It’s frankly impossible not to be happy for him because he’s had some tough times in his life over the past few years.

To see him having so much fun and being so productive on the ice is wicked good news, at least.

What’s happening right now is that Drouin is proving he deserves a nice contract for next season. He should be getting a nice pay raise… but whether or not it will be in Colorado remains to be seen.

The Quebecer may like it there… But Chris MacFarland will have a lot to deal with this summer, and the Avalanche GM will have some pretty important choices to make:

When we look at Cap Friendly’s data, we see that several players will find themselves without a contract in the coming months.

Guys like Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker, who were acquired for big money at the last trade deadline, are also likely to get a big pay raise…

And the health of Gabriel Landeskog, who has been placed on the long-term injury list since the start of the season, will also play a role.

But whether in Colorado or not, Jonathan Drouin has done enough to earn himself a new deal.

And in the grand scheme of things, that’s what’s important here.

In a gust

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– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) March 22, 2024