If Jagr can do it, why can't Joe

If anyone could.. it would be Burnaby joe

I think you guys should just re-sign yourselves now to the concept that you'll hate Drouin so so so much. It'll save time and anguish later, and anything he does right will seem like a unicorn wish.

I'm already there

My expectations are at Yakupov levels. If we get a couple months of "holy cow this guy's back!" before he loses interest (which is exactly what I think will happen), I'll be very pleased.

I worry about Drouin the human if he fails in Colorado. The rumors as to why he stepped away from the Habs are extremely concerning.

Imagine lol

All the time

I'd say it's possible he is able to contribute but his shooting, which was never good, has been awful since his wrist injuries. I mean, he probably hasn't lost his vision and playmaking ability so if they only expect him to play setup man and not be a defensive liability, it could be okay but I'm not expecting a whole lot.

Are you talking about the anxiety and insomnia? Those are not altogether uncommon issues and I'm sure COVID exacerbated them. Or have you heard of other things? I did see that he was basically suspended a game this spring because he missed a team meeting.

I do think RyJo is simply going to be on the roster no matter what. It's possible he gets outplayed by Colton and they switch spots but he's got to work out because there is no "plan B" on that front. Drouin, though, they can always bury him in the AHL and find someone else to put in for him.

There were rumors of a suicide attempt the year of the North Division.

Hmmmm. Anything is possible but rumors are just that. Hopefully he's gotten the help he needs and is in a better place. He has to know that this is probably his last shot at resurrecting his career so, if it doesn't work out, I sincerely hope he can find peace.

I think there's something to be said about leaving the pressure-cooker of Montreal. We've seen Colorado be a great change of pace for quite a few athletes in different sports. I lived in Texas for 4 years and came back to CO the first chance I got. It's a great place to live and personally I think it is great for mental health.

Yeah, there is that aspect to it and the familiarity with Mac (whom he may or may not play much with) but he's never scored more than 53 points in a season, he's never really been a finisher, is a defensive liability and has a lengthy injury history so there are a lot of things working against him. Maybe he can relax and just play hockey and it will work; I'm not expecting that outcome but it is a possibility.