Major report sparks buzz around Avalanche's most crucial forward ahead of upcoming season
Photo credit: NHLI
A major report has ignited buzz around Colorado Avalanche forward Jack Drury ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season, with insiders comparing his role to former Avs star Nazem Kadri.
Drury's tenacity and two-way play have scouts and management wondering if he could fill the void left since Kadri's departure.
Can Jack Drury reach the same level of impact that Nazem Kadri had with the Avalanche?
Sam Fels from Heavy.com writes that since scrubbing the champagne and beer stains from their 2022 Stanley Cup celebrations, the Avalanche have been striving to reclaim what might have been the most vital element of that championship team.
"The Avs haven't been able to have anything like that since Kadri moved on in free agency to Calgary. They've tried a host of players at both second- and third-line center, and none of it has really worked. The Casey Mittelstadt Reclamation Project (opening for The Lumineers these days), Alex Newhook, and putting Ryan Johansen on a diet all failed to get the Avs back to the heights of 2022, or really anywhere close." -Fels
The Avalanche tried to address this issue last season by acquiring Brock Nelson and Jack Drury, essentially attempting to recreate Nazem Kadri in tandem, with Nelson and Drury sharing the role.
"Drury's defensive numbers were still some of the best on the team, even though he mostly started with the toughest assignments. Drury's expected goals-against at 5-on-5 was 2.36, better than MacKinnon's, even though he had to begin play in his defensive end of the ice nearly two-thirds of the time. It was a mark in the top-quarter of all centers in the league." -Fels
If Drury can consistently handle that role, it would let MacKinnon and Nelson focus solely on scoring. Nelson will likely have more skilled wingers in Landeskog and Nichushkin than he did on Long Island, though at 33, questions about a potential decline are natural.
The Avalanche's biggest void since their championship parade may finally be close to being filled this season. If Drury proves to be that missing peice, Colorado can aim high.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 16 | 28 ANSWERS Major report sparks buzz around Avalanche's most crucial forward ahead of upcoming season Can Jack Drury be the next Nazem Kadri for the Avalanche? | ||
| yes | 18 | 64.3 % |
| no | 10 | 35.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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