Montreal Canadiens: Jonathan Drouin’s Issue

Jonathan Drouin has excelled at center for the Montreal Canadiens, but there’s still an aspect of his game that needs to be improved.

We’re 11 games into the 2017-18 NHL season. The Montreal Canadiens are far from where they expected to be sporting a 3-7-2 record. Goal scoring was a big issue, but after what fans saw during Saturday’s game, it may not be a consistent one anymore.

Something that isn’t talked about as much is how well Jonathan Drouin has filled the role as the team’s top line center. It’s too early to say that he’s a clear-cut number one center, but he’s earned Claude Julien‘s trust to play down the middle. Drouin is leading the team with two goals and six assists which speaks to what he can do in the offensive zone.

No one was worried about what he could do point-wise. It was the defensive side of the game that was raising eyebrows. However, Drouin has been great in that facet as well. There have been many times when he’s back checked well and was in position to make a defensive play. It hasn’t been perfect though. Drouin has been victim to the odd turnover or missed assignment, but overall it’s been a steady development.

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There is one aspect of Drouin’s game that needs to be discussed. One part that some discount and say isn’t important anymore, but is huge in the greater scheme of things. Drouin has been pretty bad in the face-off circle so far.

The Circle

Possession is a big thing in the NHL. The only way you can score, or get a chance to score, is having the puck. A face-off is the best way to make sure your team gets it. If you win the draw, your team has possession and means are made to get into the offensive zone (or stay there) and try to score. If you lose, your team has to work to get the puck back which cuts into the time you have to try to score.

Besides possession, more good things happen if you can consistently win a draw.

Anything over 50% is ideal for a center in the NHL. Drouin currently sits at 43.2%. He’s only reached that 50% mark four out of the Habs’ 11 games. His worst night in the dot was against the Toronto Maple Leafs where he finished the game at 18%.

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A lot of Montreal Canadiens fans take to Twitter in frustration when they see Andrew Shaw on the top power play. Well who’s taking the face-off? Ding ding, Shaw is. The 26-year-old is at 60.4% in the circle. You could also use how the Habs’ power play is set up position-wise as another reason for Shaw to be there, but winning that face-off is key. That extra 10-15 seconds it takes to skate down to the other end of the ice and try to re-enter the zone makes a difference.

Yes Shaw is taking less face-offs than Drouin is on a nightly basis, but he’s winning them and that’s all that matters. It’s unfortunate that the year Drouin moves to taking draws on a full-time basis is when the NHL decides to enforce this violation rule. Even established centers are struggling.

It’s just another thing the 23-year-old needs to get the hang of. On a more positive note, Drouin was 54% in the face-off circle against the Rangers on Saturday. Him staying closer to 50% each night will obviously be better for the team, but also work towards his development as a center.

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Do you care for face-offs? Will Drouin improve in this area? Let us know your thoughts down below.