Dominique Ducharme has shed some light on the subject of Jo Drouin
It's crazy how much speculation there is about Jonathan Drouin. Because the young man is/was scheduled to be interviewed by Chantal Machabée, which is expected to take place on the scheduled date, people have been talking even louder about him. David Ettedgui, an informant agent, did not put Jo Drouin in the potential lineup of the Habs because he said he had information that he would not be in the first game of the season.
I myself have received information from two people, and it seems more and more far-fetched. This issue is nebulous, so it's easy to have fun with all sorts of assumptions. That being said, I'm not saying that David has false information, I'm just pointing out to be careful about the conclusions we spin in our heads. Let's wait before we cry wolf, is that the expression?
That said, in Dominique Ducharme's speech, Jonathan Drouin is really in the plans for next season, unless he is hiding his cards well. It's true that Ducharme has a solid "poker face", isn't it?
Here's what he had to say about his protégé:
"I wish him well. If he's feeling good about himself, I know that's going to translate to the ice. When I look at our possible roster, I see his name. He's part of our plans. I'm confident that he'll bounce back. But again, he's going to have to do it on the ice. He has been through some things, both as a hockey player and as a person. I feel he's in the right place right now. I'm hopeful," said Ducharme.
"Jo was dominant at every level before the NHL. He faces adversity in the NHL. I see him growing every year to handle it better. I know he's still working to become the player he wants to be. But he's a guy who is so focused on doing well that sometimes that can work against him. In the sense that he can put too much pressure on himself. If you think people have high expectations of him, you have to understand that Jo has even higher expectations of himself. He's learning to manage that to become a man in all of this," Ducharme added.
It looks like number 92 will be back with his team after an anxious period in the last few months. Since April 23, he has been on the sidelines to deal with a personal situation that is unknown at this time. In short, to be continued, as the other guy would say!
