The NY Islanders added some skill to the top-6, inking Jonathan Drouin to a two-year deal

The NY Islanders and Mathieu Darche continue to be active on the first day of NHL free agency, this time signing a forward in Jonathan Drouin to a two-year deal worth $4M annually.

Once considered the top prospect in the NHL, most of Drouin's career has been derailed by injury. Entering his 11th NHL season, the 30-year-old has failed to play all 82 games in a single season, topping the 70-game mark just five times.

The NY Islanders lock-up Drouin

Selected third overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013, Drouin has made stops in Montreal with the Canadiens and most recently with the Colorado Avalanche.

Last season with the Avs was Drouin's most successful in terms of points-per-game with 0.86, but he appeared in only 43 games (11-26-37), suffering multiple injuries throughout the year.

Bringing in a player with Drouin's injury history is a risk, but Darche was able to get the deal done for only two seasons. If the Islanders can get a season out of the Quebec native similar to the 2023-24 season, where he scored 19 goals and added 37 assists in 79 games, the risk will have been well worth it.

Aside from Drouin's health, some of his stats over the last two seasons were likely inflated playing with the Avalanche. Though the Islanders have some skill in the top-6, it's nowhere near the caliber of a Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Valeri Nichushkin.

Drouin will likely slot in on the wing in a top-6 role, as it gives the Islanders another playmaking forward on what appears to be a team-friendly deal.