Drouin’s Return Comes At A Crucial Moment For Surging Islanders
Jonathan Drouin returns to the Islanders’ lineup vs. Tampa with first place on their mind. With Bo Horvat out for now, Drouin's return is key to accomplishing just that.
Happy Free Friday!
EAST MEADOW, NY — Jonathan Drouin will be returning to the New York Islanders’ lineup on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, per the man himself.
“I feel good. I’ll be ready to go tomorrow. So, I’m excited about that.”
Drouin, who signed a two-year deal on July 1 worth $4 million annually, has missed the last five games with a lower-body injury (lower back). He tried to give it a go against the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 4, but was a late scratch following warmups.
He didn’t travel with the team for their back-to-back in Florida, but has been progressing ever since.
The biggest question was where he’d play in the lineup, but, unfortunately, Bo Horvat’s injury — he remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury — has created an opening.
We are still awaiting an official update on Bo Horvat (lower body, day to day). But from what I can gather, it sounds like he avoided any structural damage. I’m not certain on a timeline — timelines can always change — but sounds like it will be a shorter-term absence for No. 14.
Per head coach Patrick Roy, Drouin will skate with Mathew Barzal and Emil Heineman.
I asked Drouin about his chemistry with Heineman this season.
“Our chemistry is good. He is a hell of a player. He’s hard on the forecheck. Has a hell of a shot. He scores a lot of goals when you give him the shots. He’s a horse out there.”
In Drouin’s absence, the Islanders have gone 4-1-0, finding ways to win games against elite competition.
“I don’t think it really matters who’s in or out of the lineup this year, so far. We have a game plan. We’re executing it, and our goalies are doing a tremendous job stopping the puck. So it’s been good…I think our system works. Guys have bought into what we do. I think we have an identity where we’re hard to play against in a way, and we have more offense than people think. And doesn’t really matter what the lines are. We still create a lot of chances.”
That 4-1-0 record over their last five games has allowed the Islanders to move into first place in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference if they can beat Tampa tomorrow.
They’ve shocked the NHL — but this isn’t a shock to Drouin:
“On paper, when I looked at the team, I liked what I saw. Obviously, last year they had a lot of injuries. Barzal missed 60 games. But yeah, if you look at the whole team from top to bottom with the two goalies, the defenseman, and the forwards, there’s a lot of good things that can happen in a team like that, and we’re off to a good start. We gotta keep it going.”
I did catch up with Heineman, asking him what it’s like playing with Drouin. Here’s what he had to say:
“He’s got that extra skill and edge. A lot of people don’t see it, but he works really hard, too. He wins a lot of puck battles, and he’s a big part of our team. It’s great to have him back.”
Heineman is a shooter, so when you have a player like Drouin who can put the puck on the tape, it makes all the difference.
“His playmaking skills are a big luxury. Same thing with Bo and him. They’re two great passers. And Drouin has got that high IQ, where he can see the passes right away and doesn’t have to look. He’s a top-skilled player. And obviously, we need him.”
Heineman nailed it. The Islanders need Drouin to play his best hockey with Horvat now out for now, with Kyle Palmieri being out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
Drouin returns with no goals in his last nine games and just one assist.
The trio of Drouin-Barzal-Heineman hasn’t only played 6:36 at 5-on-5 this season, outshooting their opponents 3-1, outscoring them 1-0.
Here’s how the rest of the lineup should look against Tampa:
Drouin-Barzal-Heineman
Lee-Pageau-Shabanov
Duclair-Ritchie-Holmstrom
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Mitchell-Mayfield
Sorokin
Rittich
Stefen,
Awesome job covering the Horvat injury. Hoping we can piece this thing together until he gets healthy. There is no rest until Olympic Break. I hope this doesn’t harm Bo’s chances of making the 🇨🇦 Team. He certainly deserves it, he is more versatile then some of the other options. Is there a chance the Islanders make a big move before deadline?