The Colorado Avalanche made a bit of a surprising move this past offseason by foregoing a contract extension for winger Jonathan Drouin.
Drouin had been a bit of a castoff by the Montreal Canadiens after failing to live up to the hype that came with his third-overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft.
The Avalanche picked him up during the 2023 offseason, signing him to a one-year, 825K show-me deal. He responded by scoring 19 goals and 56 points, earning playing time with Nathan MacKinnon. That season translated to another one-year deal, worth $2.5 million. However, an injury-filled 2024-25 season and his desire for a raise led the Avalanche to pass on him this past offseason.
Drouin signed a two-year deal worth $8 million with the New York Islanders. While Drouin hasn’t been bad in Long Island, the benefit of hindsight shows the Avalanche were right to pass on him.
The 30-year-old has three goals and 20 points in 40 games with the Islanders this season. That’s not bad, but somewhat debatable insofar as the numbers warrant a $4 million cap hit. Drouin is skating on the Islanders’ second line with former Avalanche top prospect Calum Ritchie. The line has worked out pretty well.
But again, would Drouin have had the impact that Martin Necas has had on the Avalanche’s top line? Moreover, the money from Drouin’s $4 million cap hit was necessary to keep Necas. So, the Drouin essentially priced himself out of Colorado, forcing the club to decide to either keep him or Necas.
While the Avalanche could have used Drouin this season, his contract was the biggest roadblock to his permanence in Colorado. The cash-strapped Avalanche had to make a business decision. That decision culminated with the two sides parting ways.
You can’t blame Drouin for seeking a bigger payday elsewhere. He’s fit in well with the Islanders. But it’s fair to say that the Avs did well in allocating their money on players like Necas and Brent Burns this season.