Two significant healthy scratches send strong message in Colorado!

Everyone assumed that the Colorado Avalanche was the perfect landing spot for forward Jonathan Drouin. When he signed there this summer as a free agent, inking a one-year contract worth $825,000 — a substantial dip from the $5.5 million annual salary he earned over the past six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, everyone expected the experiment with former teammate with the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Nathan MacKinnon would be a success.

We were wrong… Drouin is having a tough time finding his rhythm with the Avalanche which has now caused him to be a healthy scratch for tonight’s matchup against the St. Louis Blues.

Drouin is not going to be the only former Canadien to be a healthy scratch for the contest as forward Tomas Tatar is also reportedly watching this one from the press box.

Team insider Peter Baugh reported after practice today that both Drouin and Tatar were the last two skaters on the ice at the end of morning skate. “Seems possible they both get scratched.”

I understand that there should have been an immediate chemistry between MacKinnon and Drouin, but the latter only has one assist in eight games this season.

It makes sense that he’d get scratched tonight…

As for Tatar, who also signed in Colorado as a free agent, he has managed to put up four assists in eight contests, but clearly more is expected of him and some time in the press box could motivate him to excel up front.

This is the expected lineup against the Blues later tonight:

Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Mikko Rantanen
Riley Tufte – Ryan Johansen – Valeri Nichushkin
Miles Wood – Ross Colton – Logan O’Connor
Andrew Cogliano – Fredrik Olofsson – Kurtis MacDermid

Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Bowen Byram – Sam Girard
Jack Johnson – Josh Manson

Alexandar Georgiev
Ivan Prosvetov

Recommended articles:

• Kyle Okposo sends Cale Makar face first into the boards.
• Defenseman Devon Toews signs monster contract!
• 4 NHL players have been claimed on waivers on Monday.
• Valeri Nichushkin finally breaks silence on hotel room incident and unconsciously woman!
• Major update released on Gabriel Landeskog