Jonathan Drouin is out with an upper-body injury, and Chris Wagner is stepping in for the Colorado Avalanche.
Drouin played over 21 minutes in the first game of the season and seemed fine, but he hasn’t been on the ice since. Coach Jared Bednar mentioned that Drouin will be checked again on October 28, meaning he’ll miss at least five more games. This summer, Colorado gave Drouin a new one-year contract with a nice raise after he scored a career-high of 56 points last season. His success came from playing alongside Nathan MacKinnon, his old teammate from Halifax Mooseheads. Together they had an amazing record and even won the Memorial Cup for Halifax.
Now that Drouin’s not playing, Ross Colton has taken his spot on the top line and is doing great with four goals and five points in just four games! Meanwhile, Wagner joins a crowded group fighting for spots on the fourth line against Matthew Stienburg and Ivan Ivan . Both Stienburg and Ivan are new to NHL action; Stienburg hasn’t scored yet in two games, while Ivan has one assist in five games. Wagner might not have big numbers either but brings lots of experience with 375 NHL games under his belt.
Shuffling Roles:
Fans might wonder if these changes will shake things up enough to improve their rough start this season—1 win and 4 losses isn’t what they hoped for! As Wagner aims to become that solid fourth-line player again quickly, everyone hopes it helps turn things around soon.
What do you think? Can these changes help them win more?
