Report: Jonathan Drouin ‘Very Unlikely’ To Return To Colorado

Jonathan Drouin is heading to the market on July 1, and unlike last year, it’s unlikely he’s going to return to the Avalanche on the first day of free agency this time around.

Drouin is a pending unrestricted free agent coming off his second one-year deal with the Avs, but it sounds like the team doesn’t have a place for him in the lineup, according to a source of ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.

“Discussions are ongoing with Colorado ahead of July 1, but the Avalanche have under $2 million in cap space with other lineup priorities to address,” Wyshynski wrote. “Hence, the talented winger will likely hit the market, unless some additional space opens up in the 11th hour.”

Drouin, 30, made $2.5 million last season after having a career resurgence in 2023-24 on an $850,000 contract. He had 11 goals and 37 points in 43 regular-season games, but also struggled with injuries.

The 2013 No. 3 overall pick has been stapled to Nathan MacKinnon for most of the past two seasons — his former teammate with the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. But now that the uncertainty surrounding both Gabe Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin is in the past (at least for now), Colorado doesn’t seem to have a place for Drouin.

The most interesting part of Wyshynski’s report is the very last part. It doesn’t sound entirely like Colorado is unwilling to sign him. It sounds more like the team will be able to bring him back if they free up cap space and can come to terms on another bargain deal.

Drouin struggled in the playoffs, recording three assists in seven games along with a -5 rating. He played fewer than 11 minutes in the final four games. He simply wasn’t a fit on the third line with Joel Kiviranta and Charlie Coyle. He also struggled on the power play.

If Drouin returns, he would be insurance for the top six. Which isn’t a bad idea given the history of Nichushkin, Landeskog, and even Artturi Lehkonen, who has struggled with notable injuries over the past two seasons. But his inability to perform on the third line in the postseason is an issue.

You can’t pay for top-six insurance if that player is useless in the bottom six. Perhaps the seven games were just a bad stretch of hockey for him. But it’s still something general manager Chris MacFarland has to consider.

We’ll see where this goes. Drouin and his agent can take calls from other teams on Tuesday. Last year, he made it to July 1 before re-signing with the Avalanche.