Game Preview: Drouin Didn’t Want His Time With Avalanche to End: ‘I Would’ve Loved to Stay Here for the Rest of My Career’
In a Sunday matchup between the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche, jam-packed with storylines, Jonathan Drouin’s return to Colorado is perhaps the most fascinating.
Not because he spent his entire career with the Avs, but because the fit was exactly what the Avs needed for two years. And more notably, he didn’t want to leave.
“It sucked. Sometimes you gotta make decisions for your family or other reasons,” Drouin said following morning skate about having to depart via free agency. “I enjoyed my time in Colorado. I would’ve loved to stay here for the rest of my career, but the business side doesn’t allow it sometimes.”
READ MORE: Avalanche Game 19 vs New York Islanders: Drouin and Nelson Face Former Squads, Lines, Notes & How To Watch
Both teams are among the hottest in the league. Colorado is riding a five-game winning streak, while the visiting Islanders have won their last four. But that’s not all.
Drouin has been a key piece for the Isles, recording three goals, 11 assists, and 14 points in the first 17 games playing on a line with Matt Barzal. His defensive acumen has also been a pleasant surprise for Islanders head coach Patrick Roy.
“He’s very mature right now. When he was in junior, he was a phenomenal playmaker. He was playing with Nathan in Halifax, and they were always a threat,” Roy said. “What I love about his game right now is he’s playing both sides. He makes really good plays for Barzy, but he also defends really well. The 200-foot game that he’s playing shows me a lot of maturity in his game.”
The Avalanche’s front office and Drouin had conversations leading up to July 1 about trying to find a way to keep him here. But it wasn’t a fit. Drouin likely wanted to get paid as a top-six forward, but the Avs didn’t have a spot for him with Gabe Landeskog’s return a sudden reality.
Had he stayed, Drouin likely would’ve slotted into the Victor Olofsson role as a depth two-way scorer who can pitch in on the power play. But there was no way the Avs could’ve paid him the two years, $8 million he got from the Islanders to play in that spot.
His two-way play added to his value.
“Soon after joining us, he really dug in on the defensive side of things, and was a highly regarded defensive player for us, too,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “You have to be in this league if you’re going to play top line minutes with top guys. You’re going to face a lot of other top lines. So you have to round out your game and become a better defensive player. And he did that and earned a lot of trust with me.”
On Colorado’s side, center Brock Nelson is going to face the Islanders for the first time in his career. Unlike Drouin, who only spent two years with the Avs, Nelson spent his entire 12-year career on Long Island before a trade on March 6 brought him to Colorado.
“I try to approach it like any other game. It’s a big game, obviously, they’re playing well, and we want to keep things going,” Nelson said after morning skate. “There will be a couple smiles and a couple laughs and cheers, but at the end of the day, I think both teams just want to go out there and compete and win.”
Calum Ritchie, who was the key piece in the trade, will also be in the lineup for the Islanders. Ritchie has been centering New York’s fourth line and has zero points in eight games.
Beyond that, this will also be the first time that Cale Makar and Matthew Schaefer go head-to-head. Schaefer has taken the league by storm at the young age of 18. He leads all defensemen in goals with seven — one more than Makar’s six.
Schaefer and Makar have no connection other than the fact that both are Canadian, and the league hasn’t seen a young blueliner like Schaefer since Makar made his debut six years ago.
“At the end of the day, you play your own game, and you do your own thing,” Schaefer said. “Watching guys’ games, watching their skating ability and things like that, it’s pretty cool.”
Mix in the fact that Roy coaches the Isles, and you’ve got yourself a game loaded with storylines, while also having the possibility of producing an entertaining matchup with exciting players on both ends.
Roy was a four-time Stanley Cup champion. He was a key piece for the Avs in both 1996 and 2001 when they won their first two Stanley Cups.
“That’s what I said to the guys. I looked at [the banners] and I said ‘hey, this is me.” Roy said. “It was a privilege for me to be in Colorado for those eight years as a player and three as a coach. They helped me to be the person that I am. Playing with those players, the quality of the people, the quality of the organization. … It’s nice to be part of that family.”
Perhaps the most under-the-radar story, Ray Bennett was hired to be Roy’s assistant after the Avalanche fired him in May. He runs the Islanders’ power play.
The Isles are 21st in the NHL on the man advantage (16.7%), just behind Colorado in 20th (17.4%).
