The Montreal Canadiens announced Wednesday morning that winger Jonathan Drouin has been placed on long-term injured reserve. He will take an indefinite leave of absence from the club due to personal reasons. The move is not retroactive to a particular date, meaning that Drouin will be away from the team for at least 24 days.
Forward Jonathan Drouin will take an indefinite leave of absence from the team for personal reasons.
He was placed on long-term injured reserve by the club. We ask everyone to respect his privacy. pic.twitter.com/bfy5F7afY6
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 28, 2021
Jonathan Drouin Takes Leave of Absence, Out Indefinitely
Now in his fourth season as a Canadien, the Quebec-native left-winger had amassed just two goals (but 23 points) in 44 games this season. As a Hab, Drouin has set a career-high in assists (35) and tied his career-high in points (53). A reliable but often-criticized middle-six winger, Montreal should miss his playmaking ability even if he wasn’t finishing many chances this year.
Drouin would still be on pace for 43 points in a full season with his 23 points in 44 games. While it would be his lowest mark in a full season since his rookie year, it’s a testament to his consistency over the years when not injured. He’s a near-lock to score between 45 and 55 points and fits well on either a team’s third or second line.
Drouin hasn’t played since April 21st against the Edmonton Oilers. He had one assist in his last five games before coming out of the lineup due to what the team said was a non-COVID-19 related illness.
What This Means for the Future
In terms of the salary cap, the strapped Habs are now able to do some increased maneuvering. Rookie Cole Caufield will now be able to stay up with the team longer-term, which also effectively means that he can replace Drouin’s spot in the lineup and begin to replace his offence. Caufield made his debut in Montreal’s last game, playing alongside Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault. Montreal will now look to bring up defenceman Alexander Romanov back up from the taxi squad as their cap space increases as they look to hold on to the final playoff spot in the North Division.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
