Islanders Sign 11-Year Veteran Forward

Drouin Signs Contract

Drouin’s new contract is worth $4 milliob per season.

Drouin has spent 11 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, and the Colorado Avalanche. Drouin’s best season came in 2016-17 with the Bolts when he scored a career-high 21 goals. During the 2023-24 season, his first with the Avs, Drouin recorded a career-high 56 points.

Drouin’s Role With New Team

The Isles will hope to see a repeat of Drouin’s success from 2023-24. Drouin has shown flashes of being an offensive threat, but has been derailed by injuries in his career. As a result, this contract does come at a risk for New York. On the other hand, it can be a steal if Drouin replicates his success or exceeds it.

With his new team, Drouin will likely take a middle-six role, depending on the needs of the team. Drouin will likely have a role on the power play. However, that could also depend on the team’s needs.

Championship Experience

While Drouin was part of the Canadiens organization when they made their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, he was not on the roster due to health issues.

However, Drouin was part of Team Canada when they won the Gold Medal at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. While that was over ten years ago, and Drouin had not yet played in his first NHL game, championship experience of any kind is valuable. Furthermore, Drouin has been part of playoff teams in his time in the NHL. While he has not yet taken the ice for a Stanley Cup Final game, he is familiar with the environment of the playoffs. That experience could pay off come playoff time.