NEWARK — Among the traits Jonathan Drouin has displayed in his 12 NHL seasons is a skill at effortlessly fitting into his team’s structure. It’s been important. The Islanders represent his third stop in four years.
He may be rarely flashy or outspoken. But Drouin is productive.
“It’s been easy to fit in. to be honest,” Drouin said. “It’s a great group of guys. Familiar faces that I knew from Hockey Canada. That transition has been pretty easy. You just try to play your game. Play the system they want you to play.”
The Islanders continue a seven-game road trip on Monday night against the Devils at Prudential Center after Drouin helped them open it with a 5-0 win over the Rangers on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. He notched a goal and two assists for his first three-point outing as an Islander.
That included a slick back pass to set up Bo Horvat’s second-period power-play goal after a wide-open Drouin had the puck at the right post but with a limited shooting angle.
“I was like, ‘I can’t believe you just tried that,’ ” Horvat said. “But he made a good point. He was so in tight, he really didn’t have much himself. [Rangers goalie Igor] Shesterkin is so good down low. He got it back to me and I just wanted to get if off as quickly as possible.”
“I saw Drouin make great plays in junior [hockey],” coach Patrick Roy said. “So am I surprised? Not at all. He’s a smart player.”
Monday marks the second game Roy will go with revamped lines, including Drouin skating on Mathew Barzal’s left wing along with Simon Holmstrom. Drouin had been working on rookie center Cal Ritchie’s wing along with Kyle Palmieri and, prior to that, on Horvat’s wing along with Emil Heineman.
Drouin signed a two-year, $8 million deal after compiling 11 goals and 26 assists in 43 games last season for the Avalanche as he struggled with both lower- and upper-body injuries. He enters Monday with two goals and eight assists in the Islanders’ first 14 games.
First-year general manager Mathieu Darche targeted Drouin, who also has played for the Lightning and the Canadiens, to be among the Islanders’ top six forwards.
“A little more offensive skill,” Drouin said when asked what Darche told him the team needed. “Barzy was here last year but he missed [52] games. Schaef [No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer] was a big part of me signing here. I watched him in junior. Up the middle here, too, this is a great team from Bo to Barzy to Pager [Jean-Gabriel Pageau]. So that was appealing to me. I thought they were right there last year trying to make the playoffs. A lot of injuries happened.”
The Islanders finished 35-35-12 in Roy’s first full season behind the bench.
Drouin also was familiar with Ritchie before joining the Islanders as the two briefly were teammates last season with the Avalanche before Ritchie was returned to his junior team, Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League, after seven NHL games.
“He reached out to me a few times throughout the season,” Ritchie said. “When we were kind of struggling at World Juniors last year [with Team Canada] he was checking in with me and just trying to make sure we were doing good. He’s been great to me ever since I met him.”
Notes & quotes: Goalie Ilya Sorokin starts his second straight game after making 33 saves against the Rangers. Roy had alternated Sorokin and backup David Rittich the previous seven games . . . Forward Max Shabanov (upper body) will miss his 10th game but Roy said the Russian rookie would accompany the Islanders when they travel to Las Vegas on Tuesday for Thursday night’s match. The rest of the road trip includes games against Vegas, Utah, Colorado, Dallas and Detroit . . . Horvat enters Monday’s match with five goals in a five-game point streak and leading the Islanders with 11 goals and 18 points. “I think he’s been making a really good impression on Team Canada for the Olympics,” Roy said. “That’s the hockey he needs to play to help the Islanders to win hockey games as well.” . . . Forward Kyle MacLean and defenseman Adam Boqvist remained the healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.