Jonathan Drouin knows that he has to raise his level to help the Avalanche win

Jonathan Drouin has battled injuries all season long, stopping him from finding his best form, and now is the time for him to get his top level back with the Avalanche in need of a victory in Game 5 against the Dallas Stars

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

Apr 28, 2025, 12:23 PM

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Jonathan Drouin has been an important piece of the Colorado Avalanche’s offenses in his two years in Denver. Throughout this season, he has battled injuries which has stopped him from finding his best form, and he has not been able to find his best level of hockey through four playoff games so far.

After putting up 37 points in 43 games in the regular season, Drouin’s has put up three points in four games to kick off the postseason. While the box score shows a level of consistency, his play on the ice has not. He played under 10 minutes in Colorado’s victory in Game 4, and has been bumped down to the third line and second power play unit in favor of Gabriel Landeskog. He spoke on what he needs to do to improve his game at Avalanche practice on Monday.

“I’ve got to get going a little bit offensively or create a little bit more,” Drouin said. “Doesn’t have to be on the scoresheet but holding onto the puck … making more plays.”

After Game 2, a 4-3 overtime loss for the Avalanche, head coach Jared Bednar said that he needed more from his second line and Drouin. While he knows that his winger is struggling in the offensive zone, Bednar has been pleased with what Drouin has been doing on defense for the team.

“I do like the way he’s working on the defensive side of things,” Bednar said at Monday’s practice. “So I think he’s still bringing a consistent work ethic and good detail to his game on the checking side. Obviously, part of his job is to create offense and it hasn’t worked out for him so far this series, so he’s looked at a couple of things. I think he needs to relax a little bit and trust his skating in order to be a dangerous player — I saw some improvement in Game 4 so hopefully he can continue to go here for Game 5.”

Drouin currently has the fourth-most giveaways on the team through four games while only playing the 10th-most minutes. However, he has the second-most takeaways on the team.

With the great performances from Mackenzie Blackwood and Gabriel Landeskog in Game 4, Drouin would be able to unlock another level for the Avs if he can find his rhythm and bolster the third line for Colorado. His defensive contributions have been solid and much-needed for the team, but he now needs to take that next step to help Colorado chase a fourth Stanley Cup.