After missing the first round of the playoffs, Jonathan Drouin returned in the second round to help the Avalanche in their battle against the mighty Stars. His support wasn’t enough, however, as the Stars eliminated Colorado in six games on Friday night.
And so Jonathan Drouin’s first season in an Avalanche uniform came to an end. It was a mentally beneficial campaign for him in a new environment, but his 56 points probably helped put a smile on his face.
He does face a slight problem, however, as he is currently out of contract for next season.
In an interview in the dressing room after the game, Drouin confirmed what was expected: he wants to sign a new deal with Colorado.
I’d love to come back here and sign a contract. I’ve loved my time here and so has my family. – Jonathan Drouin
But this isn’t the first time we’ve heard Drouin say something like that. At the beginning of April, before the season was even over, he said on The Drop podcast that he wanted to come back to Colorado.
Except, at the time, he said he wanted to focus entirely on the playoffs and not on the idea of extending his deal.
Now that the Avalanche are out of the playoff picture, he and his agent can try to negotiate a deal for just over a year, and especially one that will pay him more than $825,000 per season
We’d already discussed the crazy idea of a $6 million per season contract, but that would be extremely surprising.
On the other hand, we should expect a contract for a few seasons. Drouin wasn’t a player in demand last summer, which is why he settled for a one-year deal. It was like a test.
And he passed the test with flying colors, earning the confidence to stay with Colorado for the long haul. Drouin is an incredible talent, but he’s much better as a support player than as a front-runner.
With Nathan MacKinnon or any of the Avalanche’s other star players, he’s capable of bringing his own touch of talent and complementing the attack.
It remains to be seen whether the Avalanche will keep him on their team. In any case, we know that MacKinnon is very happy to be able to play with his former Mooseheads teammate.
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