What to expect from Jonathan Drouin's 2nd season with the Avalanche

The Avalanche forward put up career-high points in his first year with the team and he plans to continue that success this season.

It was a big move for Jonathan Drouin to come to Colorado last season after six years in Montreal. He needed to learn where things were, who to go to for certain necessities and all the details of a new team and city. His second season in burgundy and blue is much less stressful to start. 

"Last year was kind of not nerve wracking, but a little out of place for me, where, thank God I had Nate (MacKinnon), Lehky (Artturi Lehkonen), G (Samuel Girard) to help me a little bit the first couple of weeks ...," Drouin said. "Just more comfortable coming in this year." 

The 29-year-old forward was a gamble for the Avs as he struggled in his last few seasons with the Canadiens. The organization brought him on for a year at $800,000. He started the season a bit slow as he adjusted to the new systems and teammates. When he got more confident and comfortable about midway through the season, his production improved dramatically. He ended the season with a career-high 56 points. 

"We expect him to pick up where he left off. It's not new to him anymore. He's feeling comfortable with not only his line mates, but the system play," head coach Jared Bednar said. "And you know, he's a guy then, as he gets used to it, his skill set excels, and he becomes a really good player in the second half. Production comes with that."

Drouin has acclimated to the team's systems and structure, which showed in his numbers and earned him a raise with a new one-year contract at $2.5 million. His affection for Denver and appreciation of the city's fan base contributed to his decision to stay with the Avalanche. 

"The city of Denver and the fans — obviously it sucked not playing that first round, but watching it from up top, you can see how loud that building was. You could feel it as a fan almost. So it's definitely great, very loud building as well," the Quebec native said. "At first I didn't play very well, but at the end, they were on my side — all over the summer, when I signed, a lot of support from them. So I thank them, and it's a great sports city not just for hockey, for a lot of football, basketball, you name it. It's fun to be a part of." 

Expectations are high for Drouin this season. Bednar is confident in his knowledge and skill and plans on him continuing his success, no matter where he plays in the lineup. 

"The lot of the coaching and teaching was done last year, making sure he's clear because he's got a skill set that we can use, and having him understand his role and what the non-negotiables are, and the way we defend and the way we want to check the puck back. And he was outstanding at it in the second half of the year," Bednar said. "And he knows now and just brief conversations with him that he's coming back to pick up where he left off and continue to play a 200-foot game for us. So it's not a bunch of coaching. The coaching will be done when we start making mistakes in games, how we want to cure them and and where we can create our offense and how they can help us do that."

Drouin welcomed his second child (first daughter) in the offseason, and has had to adjust his routine. 

"I'm solo right now, which is kind of nice, so I get to sleep. My wife doesn't get much sleep right now — my mom and her mom are helping a lot," the proud new girl dad said. "Right now it's a little different than what I had this summer, obviously, with my two-year-old running around. So I'm kind of bored actually when I get back home, but I'm not complaining. I think my wife would switch that out in a heartbeat."

A new deal, a new baby and a new season are things Drouin is excited about but he's ready to face the challenges that come with them.