Both teams are among the hottest in the league. Colorado is riding a five-game winning streak, while the visiting Islanders have won their last four. But that\u2019s not all.<\/p>\n
Drouin has been a key piece for the Isles, recording three goals, 11 assists, and 14 points in the first 17 games playing on a line with Matt Barzal. His defensive acumen has also been a pleasant surprise for Islanders head coach Patrick Roy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s very mature right now. When he was in junior, he was a phenomenal playmaker. He was playing with Nathan in Halifax, and they were always a threat,\u201d Roy said. \u201cWhat I love about his game right now is he\u2019s playing both sides. He makes really good plays for Barzy, but he also defends really well. The 200-foot game that he\u2019s playing shows me a lot of maturity in his game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Avalanche\u2019s front office and Drouin had conversations leading up to July 1 about trying to find a way to keep him here. But it wasn\u2019t a fit. Drouin likely wanted to get paid as a top-six forward, but the Avs didn\u2019t have a spot for him with Gabe Landeskog\u2019s return a sudden reality.<\/p>\n
Had he stayed, Drouin likely would\u2019ve slotted into the Victor Olofsson role as a depth two-way scorer who can pitch in on the power play. But there was no way the Avs could\u2019ve paid him the two years, $8 million he got from the Islanders to play in that spot.<\/p>\n
His two-way play added to his value.<\/p>\n
\u201cSoon after joining us, he really dug in on the defensive side of things, and was a highly regarded defensive player for us, too,\u201d Avs coach Jared Bednar said. \u201cYou have to be in this league if you\u2019re going to play top line minutes with top guys. You\u2019re going to face a lot of other top lines. So you have to round out your game and become a better defensive player. And he did that and earned a lot of trust with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Colorado\u2019s side, center Brock Nelson is going to face the Islanders for the first time in his career. Unlike Drouin, who only spent two years with the Avs, Nelson spent his entire 12-year career on Long Island before a trade on March 6 brought him to Colorado.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to approach it like any other game. It\u2019s a big game, obviously, they\u2019re playing well, and we want to keep things going,\u201d Nelson said after morning skate. \u201cThere will be a couple smiles and a couple laughs and cheers, but at the end of the day, I think both teams just want to go out there and compete and win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calum Ritchie, who was the key piece in the trade, will also be in the lineup for the Islanders. Ritchie has been centering New York\u2019s fourth line and has zero points in eight games.<\/p>\n
Beyond that, this will also be the first time that Cale Makar and Matthew Schaefer go head-to-head. Schaefer has taken the league by storm at the young age of 18. He leads all defensemen in goals with seven \u2014 one more than Makar\u2019s six.<\/p>\n
Schaefer and Makar have no connection other than the fact that both are Canadian, and the league hasn\u2019t seen a young blueliner like Schaefer since Makar made his debut six years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, you play your own game, and you do your own thing,\u201d Schaefer said. \u201cWatching guys\u2019 games, watching their skating ability and things like that, it\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mix in the fact that Roy coaches the Isles, and you\u2019ve got yourself a game loaded with storylines, while also having the possibility of producing an entertaining matchup with exciting players on both ends.<\/p>\n
Roy was a four-time Stanley Cup champion. He was a key piece for the Avs in both 1996 and 2001 when they won their first two Stanley Cups.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I said to the guys. I looked at [the banners] and I said \u2018hey, this is me.\u201d Roy said. \u201cIt was a privilege for me to be in Colorado for those eight years as a player and three as a coach. They helped me to be the person that I am. Playing with those players, the quality of the people, the quality of the organization. \u2026 It\u2019s nice to be part of that family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most under-the-radar story, Ray Bennett was hired to be Roy\u2019s assistant after the Avalanche fired him in May. He runs the Islanders\u2019 power play.<\/p>\n
The Isles are 21st in the NHL on the man advantage (16.7%), just behind Colorado in 20th (17.4%).<\/p>\n
![\"Contribute](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/CHNS-Tip-Jar.png\")