Big surprise in the case of Jonathan Drouin on the free agent market

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Lay Bourget
April 25, 2023 (8:01)

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It is known that Jonathan Drouin will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Due to his disappointing season, many experts have speculated that he could consider going to Europe as interest in him would be limited within the NHL.

That being said, as noted by Cimon Asselin of Habsolumentfan.com, this year's free agent market could favor the CH winger.

It's certainly surprising, but it's an important reality to consider. Despite a difficult season where he scored only two goals, Jonathan Drouin managed to rank 21st among the best wingers in points as of March 26th. He is especially an excellent passer, particularly on power plays.

An interesting fact to note is that if you calculate his points per game average, Drouin ranks 10th on that list, which is higher than NHL veterans such as Phil Kessel and Zach Parise.

Indeed, it is important to note that Jonathan Drouin will be the fourth youngest winger to become an unrestricted free agent starting on July 1st, making him one of the top wingers available on paper. He could also benefit from an abnormally weak crop of talent available.

At 28 years old, he still has good years ahead of him, and it's important to consider that playing in Montreal this year with a decimated team surely didn't help him perform to his full potential.

However, I'm not suggesting that Jonathan Drouin will get a very lucrative contract, but the current data allows us to think that the Canadiens' number 27 will continue to play in the league. It will be interesting to see if a team will seek to revitalize his career, which is likely.