New York Islanders’ new general manager, Mathieu Darche, stays busy.
According to multiple sources, the Islanders have locked in forward Jonathan Drouin on a two-year, $8 million deal.
Drouin was originally selected third overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2013 Draft. He spent his first three seasons with Tampa Bay (2014-17) before joining the Montreal Canadiens from 2017-23, and most recently, he was with the Colorado Avalanche (2023-25).
Drouin, 30, has never quite lived up to his top pick status, but he is still an effective winger and can provide New York with some playmaking.
Over 43 games for the Avalanche in 2024-25, Drouin notched 11 goals and 37 points. He was also a beneficiary of playing alongside superstar Nathan MacKinnon at times, but he will have more opportunities to shine on the struggling Islanders.
Expect him to compete for a second-line wing role, though he could fit on the top line or third line as well.
The timing is a bit awkward as New York figures out which direction it wants to go as a franchise. It already dealt Noah Dobson, but still possesses star forward Mathew Barzal, as well as a solid defense core of Alexander Romanov, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, and Ilya Sorokin in net.
Perhaps the Islanders are hoping for accelerated development out of guys like Calum Ritchie, Simon Holmstrom, and Emil Heineman to get back into the postseason sooner rather than later. However, should New York experience another frustrating regular season, it has more than enough prospects to inspire confidence.
2025 first-rounders Matthew Schaefer, Victor Eklund, and Kashawn Aitcheson, as well as 2024 first-rounder Cole Eiserman, all have massive upside and could turn into cornerstone players, eventually.
For now, Drouin gets two years with the Islanders before re-entering free agency, likely in pursuit of a longer-term contract.
