Despite a flurry of rumors, the NHL trade deadline came and went without the Tampa Bay Lightning moving forward Jonathan Drouin. There were offers for Drouin, however none were suitable, according to Lightning GM Steve Yzerman.
Yzerman addressed the media following Monday's trade deadline. Waving a white towel, Yzerman invited the suspended Drouin to re-join the organization.
"Jonathan is suspended," Yzerman said. "If he wants to come back and play, the door is open. That's up to him."
Drouin requested a trade earlier this year around the time he was suspended without pay for failing to report to the club's AHL affiliate the Syracuse Crunch. Drouin's agent Allan Walsh cited the fact that he didn't want to risk injury while playing in the AHL and potentially negate a trade from the parent club as the main reason Drouin didn't report back.
The Lightning envisioned Drouin as the playmaker that would compliment sniper Steven Stamkos when they drafted him third overall in 2013. He has taken a little longer than expected adapting to the pro game, but he scored 32 points in 70 regular season games with the Lightning last season.
It's reasonable to assume Drouin felt last year's performance was enough to earn him a consistent spot on an NHL roster. But it is likely he has played his last game for the Lightning. A source close to the situation all but confirmed yesterday, saying, "that ship has sailed."
Yzerman and the Lightning are in the middle of a playoff run and would like to forget about this ordeal and move on. However, Yzerman still needs to squeeze the maximum value out of his prized prospect. It's likely the two sides are stuck with each other until trade talks start to heat up around the NHL entry draft in June.
At 20 years old, Drouin is an undeniable talent, and at one point was drawing interest from as many as five teams before Monday's trade deadline. Failing to report to his AHL assignment shows immaturity and the longer a quarrel between Drouin and the Lightning last the more likely his value will decrease.
