Former Montreal Canadien Jonathan Drouin Linked to New Team Ahead of Free Agency

The Colorado Avalanche have several players to re-sign and little room under the salary cap, especially now that Gabriel Landeskog will no longer be on long-term injured reserve.

So, the chances of Drouin changing teams are very real, and as reported by Yahoo! Sports, one rumor links him to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

There's also one connecting him to Alexis Lafrenière and the New York Rangers, but many sources believe a quieter market, like Columbus, would actually be ideal for Drouin.

It's a rumor currently making the rounds, and Columbus has been identified as a potential landing spot for him, making this a story to watch closely over the coming weeks.

It remains speculative, of course, but all signs suggest Drouin will be forced to leave the Colorado Avalanche organization, and all indications point to the Columbus Blue Jackets being his next team.

Now 30 years old, Jonathan Drouin is a 5-foot-11, 198-pound forward who was selected third overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013.

He recorded 37 points in 43 games this season and 56 points in 79 games last season, so he certainly deserves a nice raise. However, the Avalanche will very likely not be in a position to offer it.

Drouin just finished a deal that paid him $2.5 million per year.