Avalanche's Drouin returning Tuesday vs. Jets
Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin will be back in the lineup for his team's clash against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, head coach Jared Bednar announced Monday, per the Denver Post's Corey Masisak.
Drouin has missed the last 16 games due to an upper-body injury. He was also sidelined for 16 contests at the start of the campaign after getting hurt in the Avalanche's season opener.
The 29-year-old has been limited to just five games as a result, logging two goals and two assists.
The Avalanche brought Drouin into the fold as an unrestricted free agent during the 2023 offseason, and he recorded 19 goals and 56 points in 79 outings in his first year in Denver. Colorado then inked him to a one-year extension worth $2.5 million last summer.
Bednar also announced that forward Ivan Ivan is being evaluated for an upper-body injury.
The Avalanche entered Monday's action in third place in the Central Division with a 22-15-0 record. They've won eight of their last 10 games.