Jonathan Drouin Reflects on His Time in Colorado

DENVER — Jonathan Drouin enjoyed his two years with the Colorado Avalanche, but now heâ€s ready to face his old squad tonight a member of the New York Islanders at Ball Arena.

Drouin, 30, became an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The Islanders signed him to a two-year, $8 million contract on July 1.

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“I always loved my two years here,†Drouin told The Hockey News. “I had a great time, and itâ€s always cool to come back here.â€

Brock Nelson, for instance, played parts of 13 seasons with the Islanders and told reporters it was going to be weird facing his old team. However, for Drouin, itâ€s not as difficult as a transition as one would think because heâ€s used to playing in the opposing locker room at this venue.

When asked if it would be strange playing against the Avs: “No, Iâ€ve been here before. The walkâ€s a little strange, you go a little further to go to the Avs locker room, but no, again, I enjoyed my time here; I had a blast, and itâ€s good to be back.â€

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In two seasons with the Avalanche, Drouin posted 30 goals and 63 assists in 122 games. His final year in the burgundy and blue was plagued by injuries, but in his 43 games for Colorado last year, he was nearly a point-per-game player, tallying 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points.

Drouin was a familiar face at the Avalanche morning skate, sporting an Islanders hoodie, coffee in hand, as he chatted with former teammates Parker Kelly and Devon Toews, along with a few staff members. The easy rapport made it evident thereâ€s no lingering tension between Drouin and his former club. And once tonightâ€s game is in the books, he plans to spend more time catching up with everyone.

After morning skate, Jared Bednar acknowledged the growing comparisons between two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and 18-year-old Islanders prospect Matthew Schaefer. Drouin, when asked about the parallels, echoed Bednarâ€s assessment.

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“Yeah, the skating for sure,†he explained. “His skating is very impressive. Obviously Cale is on another level now; heâ€s been in the league for a little longer, but what Schaeâ€s been doing in his first year as a rookie, has been very impressive.

“As I said, the skating is very similar, they have that speed to get away from a lot of guys and create a rush.â€

Drouin has logged 624 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Avalanche, and now the Islanders, producing 110 goals and 278 assists for 388 points over that span.

The Avalanche (12-1-5) look to eliminate another long winning streak as they take on Patrick Royâ€s Islanders (10-6-2), winners of their last four. Puck drop is at 7:11 p.m. local time.

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