Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin out with non-COVID illness

The Montreal Canadiens announced that forward Jonathan Drouin will miss Thursday night’s preseason tilt against the Ottawa Senators, citing a non-COVID-related illness as the reason for the late scratch.

While the team hasn’t given any further information on Drouin’s health, a preseason absence from a guaranteed roster player usually isn’t too much to worry about. With the Habs already entering the season with a depleted roster, the full health of their players is of utmost priority right now, so Drouin’s absence can best be predicted as precautionary.

However, if Drouin does miss any period of time, it could be yet another challenge for the team at the beginning of the season. Montreal starts the season with three games in four nights against the Maple Leafs, Sabres and Rangers. The Habs are currently without Carey Price, Shea Weber, Paul Byron, Mike Hoffman and Joel Edmundson to begin the year, with all players expected to be out for varying lengths of time.

Drouin returns to the team in 2021-22 after taking a leave of absence at the end of last year, missing the entire playoffs as well. He’s struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, tallying just nine goals and 38 points in 71 games. Expected to fit into the team’s top-nine forward group this season, his return is greatly anticipated for a team looking to return to the playoffs this season.