Drouin logged an assist and two blocked shots in Monday's 3-2 win over the Flyers.
It was his first point in two games since he returned from an upper-body injury. Drouin has immediately resumed a top-six role, though he's on the second power-play unit, as head coach Jared Bednar has opted to leave a successful first unit intact even with the Avalanche getting three forwards back from injury last week. Drouin has yet to post a shot on goal through three contests, but he should improve in that regard as he gets more comfortable in the lineup. That said, he's not often been a high-volume shooter over the last two seasons.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Activated from injured reserve
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Drouin (upper body) was activated from injured reserve Thursday.
Drouin hasn't suited up since Oct. 9 due to his upper-body injury, but he should be able to return to action Friday against the Capitals. Over 79 appearances with the Avalanche last year, he logged 19 goals and 56 points while averaging 18:11 of ice time.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Might be ready for Friday
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Drouin (upper body) will miss Wednesday's game against Los Angeles, but he might be an option Friday versus Washington, per Adrian Hernandez of Mile High Hockey.
Drouin hasn't played since Colorado's season opener Oct. 9 because of the injury. He had 19 goals and 56 points in 79 regular-season outings in 2023-24. Before getting hurt, Drouin began the campaign on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, but because Artturi Lehkonen is healthy now and thriving (two goals and four points through four outings), Drouin might instead serve on the second line alongside Casey Mittelstadt and Logan O'Connor should he return Friday.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Upgraded to day-to-day
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Drouin (upper body) won't play Sunday against Ottawa though he's considered day-to-day, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Drouin hasn't suited up since suffering the injury in Colorado's opener on Oct. 9. While the winger is still dealing with some pain, according to Rawal, he appears to be heading in the right direction.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Moves to IR
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Drouin (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Sunday.
In a corresponding move, the Avalanche recalled Chris Wagner from AHL Colorado on Sunday. The 29-year-old Drouin has missed the past four games. Drouin is still about a week away from being reevaluated, and an exact timetable for his return remains unclear. Ross Colton has been productive while filling in for Drouin in a top-six role.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Not close to returning
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Drouin (upper body) will be re-evaluated Oct. 28, per Adrian Hernandez of Mile High Hockey on Wednesday.
Drouin is set to miss at least six more games in the meantime. He sustained the injury in Colorado's season-opening 8-4 loss to Vegas on Oct. 9. When Drouin is healthy, he's expected to serve in a top-six capacity.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Being re-evaluated
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Drouin (upper body) is being re-evaluated and won't play in Wednesday's contest versus Boston, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Drouin was seemingly injured in Wednesday's season-opening loss against the Golden Knights, as he hasn't played since. Head coach Jared Bednar said the forward is "gonna have a little bit of a longer timeline." Colorado can ill afford to lose Drouin for any extended period of time -- the club is off to an 0-3-0 start.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Set to miss next few games
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Head coach Jared Bednar said Friday that Drouin is dealing with an upper-body injury and will miss "the next few games," Ryan Boulding of NHL.com reports.
Drouin will at least be sidelined for Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets and Monday's game against the Islanders before being re-evaluated. He logged 21:25 of ice time during Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Golden Knights and finished with a minus-1 rating. It's not yet clear who could be called up to fill the void left by Drouin's absence.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Finds twine Thursday
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Drouin scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 3-1 preseason win over the Golden Knights.
Drouin opened the scoring at 11:44 of the first period on a pass from Nathan MacKinnon. That's a combination that could happen frequently in 2024-25, especially early in the year before Gabriel Landeskog (knee) or Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder) are available. Drouin wasn't a full-time member of the top-line last year, but his success there and on the power play led him to a career year of 56 points in 79 regular-season contests. If Drouin can stay on the top line, he'll provide excellent value for fantasy managers.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Staying put with one-year deal
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Drouin signed a one-year contract with the Avalanche on Monday. The agreement is reportedly worth $2.5 million, according to Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports.
Provided those reported financial terms are accurate, this is a great deal for Colorado after Drouin supplied 19 goals and 56 points, including 19 points with the man advantage, in 79 regular-season contests with the Avalanche in 2023-24. Drouin is likely to serve in a top-six capacity in 2024-25 just as he did last season, but with Casey Mittelstadt gearing up for his first full campaign in Colorado, there's also a chance that the Avalanche will experiment with using Drouin as the third-line center.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Adds power-play helper
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Drouin logged a power-play assist in Friday's 2-1 double-overtime loss to the Stars in Game 6.
Drouin had a helper in all three of his playoff appearances, including two on the power play. The 29-year-old missed the first eight contests of the postseason due to a lower-body injury, but that was his only extended absence of the campaign. Drouin had a career-high 56 points in 79 regular-season outings while playing on a one-year, $825,000 contract. It's safe to assume his next deal will be at a higher cap hit, though it's unclear if the Avalanche will have the space to bring him back in 2024-25. If not, he should have a significant audience in free agency.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Registers power-play assist
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Drouin notched a power-play assist, four hits and two PIM in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Stars in Game 5.
Drouin has a helper in each of his first two playoff contests this year. He was moved up to the top line Wednesday, though his helper was a primary assist on the first of Cale Makar's two goals in the game. Drouin should continue to see significant minutes as the Avalanche once again try to fend off elimination in Game 6 on Friday.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Earns helper in return
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Drouin notched an assist and went minus-2 in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Stars in Game 4.
Drouin made his postseason debut Monday after recovering from a lower-body injury and helped out on Casey Mittelstadt's second-period tally. The 29-year-old Drouin added one shot on net and saw 19:12 of ice time, including 2:27 on the power play. With Valeri Nichushkin (suspension) done for the playoffs, Drouin could get shifted up to the top line for Wednesday's Game 5, which will see the Avalanche attempt to stave off elimination.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Good to go Monday
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Drouin (lower body) is expected to play Monday against the Stars, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Drouin will make his first appearance of the postseason after missing Colorado's first eight games. The 29-year-old recorded a career-high 56 points with 19 goals in 79 games during the regular season. He should slide into a top-six role.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Game-time call
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Drouin (lower body) will be a game-time decision for Monday's Game 4 versus Dallas, Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Gazette reports.
Drouin has yet to play during the playoffs due to a lower-body injury. He practiced with the No. 1 power-play unit during Monday's morning skate, suggesting he could be closer to probable than questionable for Game 4 against the Stars. He collected 19 goals and 56 points through 79 regular-season contests.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: No timetable for return
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Drouin is making progress in his recovery from a lower-body injury, but there's still no timetable for his return, Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Gazette reports Thursday.
Drouin recorded 19 goals and 56 points in 79 regular-season outings in 2023-24. However, he hasn't been available in the playoffs due to the injury. If Drouin is able to return during the postseason, he will probably serve in a top-six capacity.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Not at practice Friday
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Drouin (lower body) is still absent from practice Friday, Brennan Vogt of The-Rink.com reports.
Drouin missed all five games of the opening round versus Winnipeg and has yet to make an appearance at practice during the postseason. The 29-year-old had his best offensive season as an NHLer in 2023-24, picking up 56 points in 73 games, including 19 points on the power play. Drouin saw plenty of time on the top line alongside Nathan MacKinnon during the regular season. Look for Valeri Nichushkin, who had seven goals in five games during the first round, to remain on the top line until Drouin is ready to return.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Still not skating
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Drouin (lower body) has yet to resume skating with the team but could still return during the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Coach Jared Bednar told reporters Wednesday, "Yeah. It fits the timeline. He's got a long way to go yet, (Drouin), because he hasn't hit the ice yet, right? He's still working on his rehab. The timeline was four weeks or less. We're still hoping for that. He's making progress, there's no question, so I'm hoping that he can get back. We'll see how long that other series goes and how much time we have," per Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Gazette.
Drouin has already been out of action for approximately two weeks. Prior to getting hurt, the 29-year-old center was stuck in a four-game goal drought during which he recorded three helpers, six shots and three blocks while averaging 19:01 of ice time.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Ruled out for opening round
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Drouin (lower body) will miss Colorado's first-round series against Winnipeg.
Drouin was hurt late in the second period of Thursday's regular-season finale, and the injury is serious enough to keep the winger sidelined for the opening round of the playoffs. It's a big loss for the Avs -- Drouin had a career-high 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 79 games, including 18 (seven goals, 11 assists) in his final 15 contests. With Drouin out, Artturi Lehkonen or Zach Parise could be bumped up to Colorado's top line, while Joel Kiviranta will likely reenter the lineup.
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Avalanche's Jonathan Drouin: Leaves Thursday's game
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Drouin (undisclosed) left Thursday's game versus the Oilers, and head coach Jared Bednar did not provide an update on the forward's status following the contest, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Drouin left the game late in the second period and didn't play in the third. The Avalanche have generally had decent luck keeping players healthy down the stretch, but the timing of this injury is unfortunate. It's unclear if Drouin will be ready to suit up for Game 1 of the Avalanche's first-round series versus the Jets on Sunday.
