Jonathan Drouin Might Be Worth One More Look in Toronto

I first learned a little about Jonathan Drouin because of a young hockey player. A few years ago, I asked a friend's son, who was playing hockey at the time, about his favourite player. He said Drouin. This was when Drouin was with the Canadiens, and the young player was hoping he was having a good season.

That stuck with me because Drouin has always been one of those players who makes you wonder what might happen if everything comes together. He's bounced around the NHL since then, and now he's looking for another opportunity after a pretty forgettable season. Could that opportunity come with a PTO? And could the Maple Leafs be the team willing to take a look?

Drouin Isn't a Need for the Maple Leafs. He's a Question.

The easy argument against bringing Drouin to Toronto is that the Maple Leafs already have plenty of forwards. That's true. There isn't an obvious hole in the lineup that Drouin needs to fill, and Toronto isn't sitting around waiting for somebody to save its forward group.

But that's not really the point of a PTO. Drouin had a miserable 2025-26 season, scoring just four goals and 24 points in 64 games between the Islanders and Blues. Those numbers aren't going to get anybody excited. But they also don't erase what he did before that. In 2024-25, he scored 37 points in 43 games with Colorado. The year before that, he had 19 goals and 56 points in 79 games.

That's not ancient history. It's two seasons ago. And that's what makes him worth at least a conversation. A PTO doesn't require Toronto to decide that Drouin is going to be an important part of the team. It simply gives the Maple Leafs a chance to find out whether there's still something there.

Maybe the Maple Leafs Should Make Him Prove It.

This is where I think the idea gets interesting. Toronto has spent the offseason adding depth and building a roster with more options. Fine. Bring Drouin into camp and make him compete for one of those options.

If he shows up looking like the player who scored 56 points in Colorado, you suddenly have an interesting decision. Maybe he can play in the top nine. Maybe he can help on the power play. Maybe he gives the coaching staff another left-shot playmaker who can see a passing lane that other players don't. And if he doesn't? No big deal.

That's the beauty of a PTO. The Maple Leafs don't have to give Drouin a guaranteed contract simply because they invited him to camp. They can watch him skate, see where his game is physically and mentally, and compare him directly with the other players fighting for jobs.

For a team like the Maple Leafs that believes it has depth, competition should be welcome.

I'm not suggesting Drouin is going to walk into Toronto and suddenly become the player he was in Colorado. At this point, that would be asking too much. But the Maple Leafs don't need to make that bet. They can make a much smaller one: Is there enough of that player still there to make him worth keeping?

That's a question I'd be willing to ask. And maybe that's the best reason to bring Jonathan Drouin to Toronto on a PTO. Not because the Maple Leafs need him, but because they have enough depth to make him earn his way onto the team.

For a player with his skill and recent history, that's probably a pretty good opportunity for both sides.