Jonathan Drouin says he would like to come back… but he doesn’t know if he will have the chance to do so.
On this assessment Friday in Brossard at the Canadiens, there was certainly a little uncertainty, but perhaps not as much as in front of Jonathan Drouin’s locker. Will that locker still be there in September, same name, same number?
Mystery.
“I don’t know if I’m going to come back… For me, Thursday night’s game was a little different game, began by admitting the Quebec striker. This match (Thursday) may be my last here, but I have had some great years. There have been ups and downs, but I will have many good memories. »
The question of Drouin’s future was going to come up, and it will come up again, first because the main interested party does not have a contract for the next season, and second because he could become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. .
The management of the Canadian can obviously reach out to him by then, but one wonders if such an offer will eventually arrive. Firstly because Drouin himself mentioned the possibility of going to test the autonomy market this summer when he was asked if a change of air would not do him a little good.
“It’s still a little early to think about that,” he replied. I will keep all doors open… It will be my first time as a free agent. I’m going to go live with it for a bit, but if I was able to come back here, I would. I have some time to think about this.
“It’s a really good hockey market here. I’m open to coming back, I like how Martin (St-Louis, the coach) thinks about hockey, his vision of the game as a whole. So it’s a great place to play, and I think the best is yet to come for the Canadian. We will see. »
If ever this is the end, if ever Drouin wore this tricolor jersey for the last time, then he will leave the club with a total of 321 games played and a harvest of 186 points in six seasons. He said it himself: he expected more, but injuries, and perhaps also circumstances, led to this reality.
He also admitted that he may have been thrown into the wolf’s mouth a bit quickly when he arrived here from Tampa Bay in 2017.
“In my first few seasons here, I got thrown into center a bit, and maybe it’s not the way I would have done if I had to make that decision… But here, mostly over the past few months, I’ve loved it. »
There is also the financial question, which cannot be ignored in this case. If ever Jonathan Drouin hopes for a return to these lands, it will undoubtedly be for less than for the 5.5 million dollars that he was able to pocket this season.
At 28, and after a season of 2 goals and 27 assists in 58 games, it would be risky to believe that his value is on the rise.
But Jonathan Drouin obviously prefers to keep smiling.
“I loved my six seasons here. Like I said, I know there have been ups and downs. But I also experienced a lot of beautiful things…”