Big turnaround for Jonathan Drouin in the free agent market: he could cash in big

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Elias Adaime
April 24, 2023 (9:39 PM)

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As we know, Jonathan Drouin will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and due to his rather disappointing season, several experts have even suggested that it is quite possible that the Canadiens' number 27 could exile himself to Europe, as interest in Drouin would not be very high throughout the NHL.

However, as reported by Cimon Asselin, of website Habsolumentfan.com, This year's free agent market could very well be in Drouin's favor.

It's quite a turnaround, but that's the reality.

Firstly, as of March 26th, he ranked 21st among the top wingers in points, and even though he only scored two goals this season, he remains an excellent passer, especially on power plays.

Interestingly, if we convert his average points per game, he ranks 10th on this list, even ahead of veterans like Phil Kessel and Zach Parise.

But what's most noteworthy is that Jonathan Drouin is the fourth youngest winger to be a free agent, starting July 1st.

In summary, he will be one of the best wingers available, on paper. He could benefit from an unusually weak free agency.

At 28 years old, he likely has more good seasons to play, and let's be honest, playing in Montreal this year with a decimated team surely didn't help him.

Now, I'm not saying that Drouin will break the bank with his potential future contract in the NHL, but we have data that could lead us to believe that the Canadiens' number 27 is not done playing in the NHL, and it will be interesting to see if a team will try to revive his career. Which should happen.