There aren’t many NHL players who have been as open about their mental health as Jonathan Drouin.
The former phenom struggled to cope with meeting the great expectations that accompanied his return home to his native Montreal to play for his beloved Canadiens.
When he arrived in Denver, it felt like a fresh start. So when the early part of this season didn’t go the way he had originally envisioned, Drouin was more prepared to handle the adversity than his younger self back in “la belle province.”
“Way differently,” Drouin said when asked how he handled it. “… Me and Tuna (Tomas Tatar) got scratched that one day. You could take that so many bad ways. I think me and him took it the right way. We just put our heads down and went to work.
“You look at Nate (MacKinnon), every day he does the same thing. He’s always working on stuff. Some games are good and some aren’t, but if you’re doing your work good stuff is going to happen.”
The good times eventually arrived for Drouin. He’s been one of Colorado’s best players over the past few weeks, providing an offensive boost at a time when the Avs have needed it. The production isn’t stunning, but three goals and seven points in the past 14 games has him trending in the right direction.
There’s been an impact beyond just the points, as well. Coach Jared Bednar moved him onto the top power-play unit because he wanted an injection of creativity. He’s also had chances to play on the top line next to his old buddy MacKinnon again after being moved off it earlier in the year.
“The key is (Drouin) has really picked up his game. Mac is going to be Mac. He’s going to do his thing. When you’re placing players with Mac, you want them to really be on top of their game so that everyone can benefit. That’s where we feel like (Drouin) is right now,” Bednar said.
“The biggest thing for me with him is he put in some work on video, and then the pace of the game and the way he can use skating in order to make plays and be elusive, that’s really picked up. Not just recently. He’s playing well. You can see all the skill and ability, and he’s been responsible on the defensive side of it. He’s really taken ownership of that and working on it. He’s turning into a good 200-foot player for us.”
Drouin has played more than 46 minutes in the past two games with Valeri Nichushkin out of the lineup. Without Nichushkin (illness) and Artturi Lehkonen (neck), the Avs are short half of their six top wings. Mikko Rantanen began the season scorching hot but has cooled of late while working through a funk.
The Avs signed Drouin and Tatar to provide scoring depth, but right now Denver needs someone to take more of a leading role.
“I think it’s been a couple weeks now where I feel like I’m building on something,” Drouin said. “I just feel like it’s instincts now. I’m comfortable. I’m not thinking. I’m just playing hockey. I know our systems and what we want to do. When you’re a player like me, when I’m thinking or overthinking, that’s when I start making mistakes and my feet stop moving. When I’m on instincts, my feet move and I make better plays.”
Bednar alluded to Drouin’s all-around play, but he also hasn’t shied away from some of the physical aspects of the game. He hasn’t been floating near the edge of battles in the corners, waiting for someone else to dig out the puck for him.
No one is going to confuse Drouin for Kurtis MacDermid, but he’s been involved in a couple of post-whistle skirmishes that went beyond the typical, “OK, you shoved me, I face-washed you, let’s we move on” situations.
“There’s an edge there, for sure,” Drouin said. “I think that when you get that going in the first period or the first couple shifts, it can get you into the game a little bit. It’s like, ‘Well, you’re in the game now,’ after you hit someone or get in someone’s face. Early in my career, it wasn’t that I would fall asleep, but if I wasn’t getting the puck as much and not making any plays, I realized I needed to find a way to get into the game so if the puck does come in the second or third period, you feel more ready for it.”
Footnotes: Lehkonen skated briefly before Colorado’s optional practice Friday. He hasn’t played since crashing into the boards and injuring his neck Nov. 9 against Seattle. Bednar said earlier this week there was still no timeline on his return.
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