Veteran winger Jonathan Drouin has signed a two-year contract with the New York Islanders, with an annual value of $ 4 million.
Drouin, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, played the last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, reuniting with his former Halifax Mooseheads teammate Nathan MacKinnon as he aimed to help the Avs secure their second championship since 2022.
The Avalanche originally signed Drouin to a one-year deal worth $ 825,000, during which he tallied 19 goals and a career-high 56 points in 79 games. Unfortunately, the Avalanche were eliminated in the second round by the Dallas Stars.
Drouin’s consistent secondary scoring prompted the Avalanche to offer him another one-year contract worth $ 2.5 million. Although injuries limited him to just 43 games, he still managed to score 11 goals and accumulate 37 points, helping the team enter the playoffs as a serious contender for the Western Conference title.
The Avalanche faced the Dallas Stars in the first round but were eliminated in a seven-game series, with former Avalanche player Mikko Rantanen netting a hat trick in the decisive game.
With the Avs confronting salary cap management issues, it seemed likely that Drouin’s time in Denver was coming to an end.
By acquiring Drouin, the Islanders gain another top-nine winger to complement their roster, which already includes Anthony Duclair, Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom, Kyle Palmieri, and Maxim Tsyplakov. They are aiming to improve on a 35-win season that left them nine points shy of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
PuckPedia estimates that the Islanders, who recently selected Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the top pick in the NHL draft, will have $ 7.1 million in cap space to address their needs, which includes negotiating new contracts for upcoming restricted free agents like Holmstrom and Tsyplakov.
No Comment! Be the first one.