Player Discussion Jonathan Drouin - Redemption Now

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[webersshot]

Put a new poll. Add option for people who always believed in Drouin

 

[26Mats]

Drouin isn’t a leader. He needs to be surrounded with players who can lead. He should have a good season with the team we have.

I agree to this 100%.

I do think, that being said, he can contribute, I.e. add value, to the group in place.

But I worry that if we are in a position where the game is on the line, he'll more likely choke than not. So, he'll give us a lot of good moments that will help along the way, but he can't be relied on to be a difference maker a win or go home situation.

 

[A55P2]

I agree to this 100%.

I do think, that being said, he can contribute, I.e. add value, to the group in place.

But I worry that if we are in a position where the game is on the line, he'll more likely choke than not. So, he'll give us a lot of good moments that will help along the way, but he can't be relied on to be a difference maker a win or go home situation.

You're right. But we've also got a lot of depth and I feel like anyone could step up in a situation like this. Including him. It just doesn't have to be him.

 

[Adriatic]

I just want him to keep racking up points so his trade value keeps rising. Package him with a decent pick and it may be possible to get a good player in return.

 

[ahmedou]

January < February + March + April + May + June + July + August

 

[Scriptor]

I agree to this 100%.

I do think, that being said, he can contribute, I.e. add value, to the group in place.

But I worry that if we are in a position where the game is on the line, he'll more likely choke than not. So, he'll give us a lot of good moments that will help along the way, but he can't be relied on to be a difference maker a win or go home situation.

Not sure about that. Unlike Tatar, for example, Drouin shows up come playoff time. Not much of a sample but, every time he was in the playoffs.

 

[Scriptor]

Put a new poll. Add option for people who always believed in Drouin

Also, add option for those who never believed in him, even before they ever knew his name.

 

[26Mats]

Not sure about that. Unlike Tatar, for example, Drouin shows up come playoff time. Not much of a sample but, every time he was in the playoffs.

This is a big playoff for Tatar. The Tatar-Danault-Gallagher took a nose dive in the playoffs. Gallagher is the straw that stirs that drink. Maybe his injury affected the whole line. When the lines were switched and Gally was out, Tatar was playing with Danault and Lehkonen. Hard to produce with those linemates.

Tatar's had two good playoffs and 3 bad ones. Drouin's had 2 good ones and 1 bad one. Who they played with might explain a lot. I'm confident Tatar could produce with Suzuki.

But no excuses, we'll see what each will bring this spring I think.

 

[Scriptor]

This is a big playoff for Tatar. The Tatar-Danault-Gallagher took a nose dive in the playoffs. Gallagher is the straw that stirs that drink. Maybe his injury affected the whole line. When the lines were switched and Gally was out, Tatar was playing with Danault and Lehkonen. Hard to produce with those linemates.

Tatar's had two good playoffs and 3 bad ones. Drouin's had 2 good ones and 1 bad one. Who they played with might explain a lot. I'm confident Tatar could produce with Suzuki.

But no excuses, we'll see what each will bring this spring I think.

Pretty sure everyone could produce with Suzuki -- even Poehling

Gallagher's injury, I feel, was a HUGE factor in how Danault and Tatar fared in the last playoffs but, also the lack of depth, compared to this year and the difference in the overall makeup of the team.

Montreal could be a sexy beast in the playoffs!

 

[covfefe]

A few years ago I went out to Cape Breton with some friends - we flew into Sidney, which is where CB plays out of, and as luck would have it they were playing the Mooseheads that night. A few of us picked up good seats right at ice level and speaking as a regular at Kelowna (WHL) games for a couple decades now, I'm not sure I've ever seen someone put the opposition in a blender harder than Drouin did that night. The puck was glued to his stick and he was making guys miss all over the ice. Nate obviously looked great too, but the best player on the ice that night was obviously Drouin. If you told me he'd be a Hab in just a few years' time I would've been absolutely floored.

Fast forward to the present and he's turned into this hybrid LaFlamme thing which is not necessarily what I thought would play out, but here we are. Lately I'm noticing him turning up the volume in areas of his game that don't involve the puck, so I guess I still have hope that it could finally work out for him. But I'd hardly fault someone for taking the other side of that bet..

 

[azcanuck]

Drouin is weak mentally but as long as he's not "the man" he will do better. He will actually improve now on a good team surrounded by other guys that take the pressure off of him.

He's a damn good passenger. His passing and skating skills are elite.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Drouin is weak mentally but as long as he's not "the man" he will do better. He will actually improve now on a good team surrounded by other guys that take the pressure off of him.

He's a damn good passenger. His passing and skating skills are elite.

I don't think his inability to 'the man' has anything to do with him being weak mentally.

He's just not good enough to be the man, all things considered.

Not saying he doesn't have some elite skills but he also has flaws and the overall package is what we got.

 

[ourobouros]

Interesting portrait of him this morning in La Presse :

Portrait | Dans la tête de Jonathan Drouin

It seems that he's one of the player who watch the most hockey game and that he cant stop thinking about it :

Jonathan Drouin aime tellement le hockey que le soir, en se couchant, il lui arrive d’imaginer des jeux sur une patinoire. (...) « Je fais beaucoup de visualisation, confie-t-il. Mais des fois, c’est trop. [J’]aimerais trouver l’interrupteur. Le bouton off pour passer à autre chose. Il ne faut pas exagérer. Sinon, ça peut rendre un peu fou... »​

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Detailing the improving defensive game of Jonathan Drouin

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Detailing the improving defensive game of Jonathan Drouin

Zero context to the 'better stats' he presents. Kinda normal stats would go up 1-against much weaker competition and bad defenses 2-in a small sample size at the start of the season where both the Habs and Drouin often shine, and even then, he's barely on the positive side.

It means jack shit for now

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Zero context to the 'better stats' he presents. Kinda normal stats would go up 1-against much weaker competition and bad defenses 2-in a small sample size at the start of the season where both the Habs and Drouin often shine, and even then, he's barely on the positive side.

It means jack shit for now

There's still video to support his improvements aside from the heat maps. I do think that Drouin is a more complete player than if you look at 2018-19 when he was playing with Domi.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

There's still video to support his improvements aside from the heat maps. I do think that Drouin is a more complete player than if you look at 2018-19 when he was playing with Domi.

Sure, but I won't buy any of it until I see this against tougher opposition.

 

[ZUKI]

Interesting portrait of him this morning in La Presse :

Portrait | Dans la tête de Jonathan Drouin

It seems that he's one of the player who watch the most hockey game and that he cant stop thinking about it :

Jonathan Drouin aime tellement le hockey que le soir, en se couchant, il lui arrive d’imaginer des jeux sur une patinoire. (...) « Je fais beaucoup de visualisation, confie-t-il. Mais des fois, c’est trop. [J’]aimerais trouver l’interrupteur. Le bouton off pour passer à autre chose. Il ne faut pas exagérer. Sinon, ça peut rendre un peu fou... »​

It's a good article to read, and it shows Drouin as someone else that the idea we have on him.
I am still confident that Drouin is going to be a very good player. He's put in a wrong chair at his first season here , then there was this nose/respiration problem, then his injury last season with a too soon return.

My guess is that Drouin just needs to build his confidence, after 3 hard seasons. Last season he was really good before hw was injured , so he was at the end of the season, and right now he's also good. I think that we are just seeing the top of the iceberg right now

 

[Archijerej]

Detailing the improving defensive game of Jonathan Drouin

David St-Louis is one of the best out there writing about the Habs.

 

[Simarino]

It's a good article to read, and it shows Drouin as someone else that the idea we have on him.
I am still confident that Drouin is going to be a very good player. He's put in a wrong chair at his first season here , then there was this nose/respiration problem, then his injury last season with a too soon return.

My guess is that Drouin just needs to build his confidence, after 3 hard seasons. Last season he was really good before hw was injured , so he was at the end of the season, and right now he's also good. I think that we are just seeing the top of the iceberg right now

I like this article alot, some people think he is lazy but i never had that impression. When he starts playing badly he seems to be overthinking the game and freezes. I hope he’s working hard with a sport psychologist because the mental part of the game seems to be the one preventing him to reach that other level.

 

[ZUKI]

I like this article alot, some people think he is lazy but i never had that impression. When he starts playing badly he seems to be overthinking the game and freezes. I hope he’s working hard with a sport psychologist because the mental part of the game seems to be the one preventing him to reach that other level.

I agree with you. He's overthinking. But i still hope that if can play without being injured for a long period, he will find back his magical touch

 

[Saundies]

Wanted to bump this thread. Just want to say that after years of frustration with the guy (the beginning of last season not included) that I'm finally coming around and liking his overall game. Right now, his line with Suzuki and Anderson is easily our #1.

He just seems to be simplifying things now. For the most part, he's no longer trying to do it all himself or make that one extra move that gets himself in trouble.

I think the fact that he's not constantly worrying about scoring or getting points is really helping him. It's good to see.

 

[danyhabsfan]

I feel people are looking at the scoresheet to figure if a player plays well or not.

Drouin doesn't play that well but he gets points. Same could be said about Suzuki. He can be invisible the whole game but have 2 points.

 

[WeThreeKings]

He's still not very good..

congrats on getting 2nd assists.. but his shot is peewee level, his defensive implication is rarely there and he's normally so un-involved defensively he avoids fan scrutiny because he's not in position to make a glaring error defensively.