CHL Duos Reunite for This Year's Season

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Ryan Hall
July 31, 2023 (0:54)

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As a fan of the game, I have watched many players in the younger leagues come up through the ranks and become NHL players, some of whom have played as teammates in the past. With the new season approaching and training camp beginning within the next month and a half, two former duos are reunited.

Jonathan Drouin joins the Colorado Avalanche alongside his former teammate Nathan MacKinnon, while Connor Brown has joined the Edmonton Oilers alongside his former linemate Connor McDavid.

Having been many years since both sets of guys played alongside one another, it remains to be seen whether they can recapture the magic they had when they were teammates.

For the Oilers, I could see Jay Woodcroft trying out his lineup with Connor Brown alongside McDavid at the beginning of the year. Brown brings an edge to his game, which will help with the forecheck and allows him to set up McDavid for scoring opportunities. However, Brown has usually been relegated to the third line on most teams he's played, so it'll be interesting to see if he can handle first-line minutes.

As for Jonathan Drouin, the expectations for him remain quite low. His game in Montreal was disappointing, and he seemed less motivated to improve himself while being there. Injuries also played a factor, and I'm skeptical that he will be able to recapture what he did with MacKinnon in junior.

In my opinion, Connor Brown and Connor McDavid will likely be the better duo when the season ends.