Categories
Dans les coulisses

Jonathan Drouin finds himself on the fourth line in Colorado

Jonathan Drouin left the Canadiens this summer to test the autonomous player market.

He agreed to a one-season contract with the Colorado Avalanche, valued at $850,000.

This gave him a fresh start and the opportunity to join his good friend Nathan MacKinnon, with whom he dominated the QMJHL when they played for the Halifax Mooseheads.

Jared Bednar, the club’s head coach, wasted no time in reuniting the two former Q stars. Drouin was offered a golden opportunity to play on the team’s first trio at training camp and at the start of the season… But the experience didn’t last.

The reason is simple: Drouin was unable to keep pace with the Avalanche’s first unit.

The Quebecer was demoted to the club’s second line, then to the third…

And now he finds himself on the Avalanche’s fourth line. The former Montreal Canadien has just one assist in eight games:

It’s a shame, because I really thought he had a great opportunity to redeem his last few difficult years in Montreal.

The young veteran’s contract expires at the end of this season… And if things don’t work out, he’ll have a hard time finding a new club next year. Already, at the salary he’s making, it’s not hard to send him to the minors.

The Avalanche won’t necessarily have to wait until next summer to get rid of him if need be.

It’s boring, but it’s all the same.

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({“cmd”: “addBanner”});

These two former CH players also find themselves in a bad situation

Mike Hoffman and Ryan Poehling were both traded by Kent Hughes in a deal involving Jeff Petry.

Today, Hoffman finds himself in San Jose. Poehling is with the Philadelphia Flyers… and it’s tough for both.

Even though he plays for the Sharks, Hoffman is having trouble cementing his place on one of the team’s top two threes. He spends most of his time on the club’s third line, and his one assist in eight games leaves something to be desired when you consider that this is a player whose style of play is based solely on offense.

As for Poehling, he was blanked in his first eight duels of the season and John Tortorella had had enough.

The striker was left out last night because the coach wanted to send him a pretty clear message:

As a joke, I’m going to say that it’s been just as tough for Nick Bonino with the Rangers (no points in nine games). Why am I talking about him?

Because the Habs withheld part of his salary last season at the NHL trade deadline.

It’s a farce, we agree.

But beyond all that, we realize that Kent Hughes brought out his deadwood by letting Mike Hoffman, Ryan Poehling and Jonathan Drouin go.

In gusto

– Really cool for the CH players.

– Happy Halloween!

– Elias Lindholm and the Flames have stopped negotiating.

– Oh wow.

– A Quebec boxer had to pull out of her fight when she learned she’d be facing a trans woman in it.[Le Quotidien]