Jonathan Drouin has never played a full season in the National Hockey League, but he hopes the next one will be the right one.
Posted at 2:52 p.m.
The Quebec forward, who recently had surgery on his right wrist, looked optimistic during the Canadian’s assessment on Saturday morning in Brossard, and he believes he will be ready when training camp opens in September.
In fact, according to his estimate, he should be able to return to form in mid-July, having presented himself to members of the media with a brace on his right wrist.
“I shouldn’t have any more problems with my wrists…because I only have two!” he joked. It’s not ideal not to be able to play because of injuries, as it was for me this season. Injured, you spend time with the club but you’re not really with the team, so it can get a bit long. But I hope to be at 100% of my abilities next season, and to be able to play 82 games. It is my objective, to be able to play 82 matches. »
So far, Drouin’s busiest season in the NHL is 2018-19, his second with the Canadiens, where he played 81 games. Since then, in the following seasons, he had to settle for campaigns of 27 and 44 games, then 34 games in the current season which just ended Friday night, with a 10-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. in a meeting that no longer meant anything.
But with a last game dating back to March 21, Drouin didn’t really have time to show new coach Martin St-Louis what he can do.
“Obviously, in terms of hockey, I haven’t had the chance to prove myself,” he admitted. I just talked to Martin about it. I played two games with a wrist that wasn’t at 100% capacity. Of course, I haven’t received many comments on my game, but it will be up to me to prove that at camp. »
Drouin, who has only one year of contract to expire with the Canadiens, at a salary of $5.5 million, believes that he is now better equipped to face the pressure of the Montreal market, he who has had in the past some trouble with this aspect of reality.
“Especially thanks to the step back that I was able to take during the previous season, he insisted on saying. I feel a hundred times better now, and I’m better equipped to deal with this reality than I was in the past. Montreal is a place where I want to play for many more years. »