Montreal Canadiens: What’s in Store for Jonathan Drouin Next Season?
After taking some time off from hockey this past season, Montreal Canadiens left-winger Jonathan Drouin was spotted after a training session in Brossard last week. He’s apparently back on the ice and getting back in shape to play with the team in September.
While general manager Marc Bergevin had said that Drouin should be back with the team in September, there are multiple possible scenarios regarding his career moving forward.
The first and simplest possibility would be for Drouin to come back to the team and play with them for, at least, the rest of his contract. He still has two years to go with a $5.5 million AAV before becoming a UFA. Those last two years also include a modified no-trade clause, for which Drouin submitted a list of three teams he did not want to be traded to.
The second possible scenario would be for Drouin to be back with the Canadiens in September, play a little, and show what he’s capable of in order to get his market value up as much as he can and then be traded. I would assume that is only if he wants to be traded and if Bergevin can find a good deal.
We still don’t know what Drouin was and is going through, but if it has anything to do with the pressure and everything that comes with a big hockey market, he might ask to be traded to a smaller market team.
However, if he wants to be back and is ready to compete and finish his contract in Montreal, I believe it could be a huge season for him, just to prove everyone who was doubting him wrong and play some of the best hockey in his career.
Another possibility would be for Drouin to come back and have a test run to see if he truly is ready to play hockey again, and whether he wants to stay in Montreal or play somewhere else.
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No matter what the situation is and what happens, Drouin’s health comes first, so here’s to hoping he does what’s best for him and that it works out.