Potential Trade Destinations for Montréal Canadiens Winger Jonathan Drouin

This season will likely be the last for Jonathan Drouin with the Montréal Canadiens. The 27-year-old winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July after completing a six-year contract worth an annual salary-cap hit of $5.5 million.

Drouin's best season with the Canadiens came in 2018-19 when he reached a career-high 53 points for the second time. He's since struggled to fulfill expectations as a top-six forward as injuries and illness limited him to 44 games or fewer per season since 2019-20.

On Oct. 12, the Montreal Gazette's Stu Cowan speculated that Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes could attempt to move Drouin before the March 3 trade deadline. His colleague, Pat Hickey, believed the oft-injured veteran winger has no place with a club that's putting its emphasis on rebuilding with younger players.

Hickey believes swapping Drouin for future assets won't be easy unless he has a productive season. So far, he's off to a poor start with just two assists in eight games. Nevertheless, he could generate some interest in the trade market from playoff contenders seeking a playmaking forward if he can stay healthy and regain his form.

Given the Canadiens' status as a rebuilding club, their asking price isn't likely to be exorbitant. A draft pick and perhaps a prospect could be the most they seek to get Drouin off their books for the remainder of this season.

Here's a look at five possible trade destinations for Drouin. You can express your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

On Oct. 21, Montreal Hockey Now's Marco D'Amico reported Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes was in the market to bolster his right side blue-line depth. Observing the Los Angeles Kings could move a defenseman, D'Amico speculated the two clubs could be trade partners.

Hughes could draw upon his surplus of forwards for trade bait to add a defenseman. Perhaps that forward could be Drouin if his performance improves over the coming weeks.

D'Amico believes the Kings could look at bolstering their bottom-six forwards and add some secondary scoring. He suggested a swap where the Canadiens send a forward to the Kings for a veteran defenseman like Sean Walker, who carries a $2.7 million average annual value through 2023-24.

Hughes might have to retain up to half of Drouin's $5.5 million cap hit to make the dollars fit for the Kings. In that scenario, he could seek a 2023 draft pick (such as one of the Kings' two third-rounders) as part of the return.

Since reaching the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, the Nashville Predators have made it past the opening round once (2018) and failed to advance past the qualifying round in 2020. With his club currently struggling in the Western Conference standings, perhaps general manager David Poile will consider boosting his club's offense.

Drouin's playmaking skills and his ability to play either wing could put him on Poile's radar if he can be healthy and productive over the course of this season. He could slot in as a second- or third-line forward and could also move up to the top line to replace a sidelined forward.

Drouin could be a good fit as a playoff rental skating alongside more established talent such as Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene or Nino Niederreiter. He could also provide some additional offense skating with sophomore winger Tanner Jeannot.

The Predators are currently pressed against the $82.5 million salary cap. Acquiring Drouin would mean waiting until the trade deadline when they'll have a projected $4.2 million in cap space to take on the remainder of his cap hit. Even then, the Canadiens might have to retain a portion of it to make the deal work.

Tom Fitzgerald has been rebuilding the New Jersey Devils since taking over as general manager in July 2020. Since 2021, he's added veteran depth via free agency in Dougie Hamilton and Ondřej Palát and traded for Vitek Vaněček, Ryan Graves and John Marino.

A month into this season, the Devils are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. However, their hopes of staying there may have suffered a blow with Palát sidelined indefinitely following groin surgery. Fitzgerald could turn to the trade market again for a top-six winger if Palát should miss most of the season.

A healthy, productive Drouin could be a good addition to the Devils as a playoff rental. He is capable of playing top-six minutes and can drop down to the third line once Palát returns to action.

With a projected $918,000 in trade deadline cap space, the Devils might have to move out a lower-salaried player and ask the Canadiens to retain half of Drouin's cap hit to make the dollars fit. On the other hand, they can afford to take on the entire remainder of his cap hit if Palát and his $6 million cap hit get placed on long-term injured reserve.

The offense has been an issue for the New York Islanders since John Tavares left town. Since 2018-19, their 2.78 goals-per-game rank 24th overall.

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello could be in the market for an offensive boost by the trade deadline, possibly sooner if the issue threatens to scuttle their playoff hopes. Perhaps Canadiens GM Kent Hughes will see if he can interest Lamoriello in Drouin.

Hughes and Lamoriello have a recent trade history. During the 2022 NHL draft in July, Hughes shipped defenseman Alexander Romanov and a fourth-round pick to the Islanders for their 2022 first-rounder. Hughes traded that selection and a third-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for center Kirby Dach.

A healthy and motivated Drouin could bring some invaluable secondary scoring depth to the Islanders. His ability to skate at either wing, and his experience as a top-six forward would make him a versatile addition to their lineup. It would be best to wait until the trade deadline to acquire him, as they'll have $13.4 million in projected cap space by then.

The Winnipeg Jets are looking for a bounce-back performance after missing the playoffs last season. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff could become a buyer if his club appears once again in danger of dropping out of contention at some point before the trade deadline.

Since reaching the 2018 Western Conference Finals, the Jets have reached the second round just once. Cheveldayoff signed a new contract in May, so his job isn't in jeopardy if his club stumbles again. Still, he could feel the need to make a move to improve his club's chances for a deep postseason run.

Cheveldayoff has several veteran scorers in his lineup such as Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler, as well as the promising Cole Perfetti. Nevertheless, he could be in the market for a versatile top-nine forward like Drouin should any of his key forwards end up sidelined or hampered by injuries.

With just $3 million in current projected cap space, the Jets can't afford to take on Drouin at this point unless the Canadiens retain part of his cap hit. They could be better off waiting until the trade deadline, when they'll have a projected $11.5 million.

Stats and standings (as of Nov. 4, 2022) via NHL.com, with additional information via Hockey Reference. Salary info via Cap Friendly.