Jonathan Drouin not on the trade block, but Canadiens “need more” from him this season

In case you haven’t heard, Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin immediately shot down rumours that forward Jonathan Drouin is being dangled in trade talks despite entering just the third season of a six-year, $33 million contract extension he signed back in the summer of 2017. He even went as far as to say the ridiculous rumours came from “somebody’s basement in Toronto”

Don’t take that public backing as an endorsement of his play. As part of his response to the rumours, Bergevin also emphasized Drouin’s need to take his game to the next level.

“He has some good moments, but overall, we need more,” said Bergevin.

“He’s a skilled player, he has talent, he has a lot of attributes.”

The 24-year old has been underwhelming since coming to Montreal with much hype and fanfare. Over a span of two seasons and 158 regular season games, he has compiled just 31 goals, 68 assists and a disappointing minus-36 rating.

He has also struggled so far in the 2019 preseason. In their most recent contest, which was a 3-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he had only 1 shot on net and finished with only 14:46 of ice time.

It feels like this will be a make-or-break season for him during his tenure with the Canadiens.