Drouin traded in the next 24 hours?

[Axeman33]

I'm not going to lie, a great big piece of me wants TB to trade Drouin to Ottawa just to see how quickly Big Ev turns to love Drouin. I know, it's a little sadistic but still something that will make me chuckle if it actually happens.

https://twitter.com/SunGarrioch/stat...80375598374912

Bolts want Ottawa Senators prospect Thomas Chabot in any trade for Drouin http://www.ottawasun.com/2016/01/22/...0dd12fb152df40 … #Sens #Bolts

[Bomm Bastic]

I'm not going to lie, a great big piece of me wants TB to trade Drouin to Ottawa just to see how quickly Big Ev turns to love Drouin. I know, it's a little sadistic but still something that will make me chuckle if it actually happens.

https://twitter.com/SunGarrioch/stat...80375598374912

Evil!

[CHunter]

Can't believe Bolts will trade him in the Eastern conference....they got to find the best deal out of the West....

[Axeman33]

Can't believe Bolts will trade him in the Eastern conference....they got to find the best deal out of the West....

I agree. I am just thinking out loud.

[Big Ev]

If they don't think he's gonna reach the upside he once had then who cares if they trade him to the east. It's irrelevant in my mind.

[havanablast21]

If they don't think he's gonna reach the upside he once had then who cares if they trade him to the east. It's irrelevant in my mind.

Yes if that were true. No one on the bolts staff have said that they don't feel he will reach his projected upside.

[Big Ev]

Their actions speak louder than their words.

[Zorro]

What if nobody wanted this kid?? Would Drouin be willing to sit out for the next 6 years until he was UFA eligible??

[JagrBomb]

What if nobody wanted this kid?? Would Drouin be willing to sit out for the next 6 years until he was UFA eligible??

no GM is going to let a 3rd overall pick rot because of spite, it would be terrible asset management. crap value is still better than no value.

[Zorro]

no GM is going to let a 3rd overall pick rot because of spite, it would be terrible asset management. crap value is still better than no value.

I just don't know how the other 29 GM's in the league think, Drouin is going to come to their team and be a team player.. Because he's definitely not being one in TB.. That TB team has had more then 80% of its forwards come up through the minors.. Stamkos, Johnson, Kucherov, Palat, Paquette, Namestnikov, Killorn, JT Brown, etc.. Just because Mackinnon is getting top minutes doesn't mean he desrves that aswell.. Earn your keep.

[Rylant]

no GM is going to let a 3rd overall pick rot because of spite, it would be terrible asset management. crap value is still better than no value.

Maybe. But there is a mindset out there which says that if you DO trade him for crap value, and he does turn out to be amazing on his new team, maybe you are better off just not trading him? Some think this way. If you can only get a second round pick for him, and a year later he is tearing up the NHL for 80 points a year on a new team, then what you lost might not be worth what you gained.

Are there any rules or loopholes which say that if he sits out for long enough, he can go back into the draft? Or become a UFA sooner that that? I remember something goofy with Justin Schultz when he became a UFA and signed with Edmonton well before he was 27. Or others refusing to report and ending up in back in the draft pool. I think in most of these cases though, the player trying to work around the system hadn't signed their ELC, and the fact that Drouin has, and has played already for Tampa, might eliminate these options.

Rylant

[Instant Karma]

I just don't know how the other 29 GM's in the league think, Drouin is going to come to their team and be a team player.. Because he's definitely not being one in TB.. That TB team has had more then 80% of its forwards come up through the minors.. Stamkos, Johnson, Kucherov, Palat, Paquette, Namestnikov, Killorn, JT Brown, etc.. Just because Mackinnon is getting top minutes doesn't mean he desrves that aswell.. Earn your keep.

This is why I think Yzerman would be well within his rights to ignore Drouin's trade request, because the actions taken by Drouin and his agent have directly (and severely) undermined the Lightning's efforts to deal him.

Apparently Yzerman has made a good faith effort and that's all that I believe he's obligated to do at this point. He and the Lightning are not obligated to take a beating on Drouin's behalf. Setting precedents needs to be considered here.

Hopefully if Drouin languishes in limbo long enough, he will fire his agent and find Jesus, so to speak.

[bergman]

To be honest, the fact that Drouin has only played 38 NHL games and not 40 means he's not one year closer to UFA status. With the whole Stamkos situation, Yzerman has to be putting Drouin on the back burner. A franchise Centre potentially walking out the door versus an ungrateful kid who can't go anywhere without your approval. Unless a deal that absolutely makes sense for TB is available, I wouldn't be surprised if this goes into the offseason, while Yzerman is busy dealing with his #1 issue in Stamkos. Gotta feel for Stevey Y.

[Oakville Squires]

Here's a link to an interesting article that was the first one that I read that wasn't completely negative towards Drouin.

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/articl...lse-in-the-nhl

I don't agree with the approach Drouin took but at the end of the day can also see why he was frustrated and really hope that he gets moved sooner than later so that both Tampa and Drouin can get this whole debacle behind them.

[Front89]

I think the examples of Turris and Seguin are giving Yzerman pause more than wanting to "teach Drouin a lesson" or other similar suspect asset/roster management approaches. The best GM are pragmatists, do not let emotion or personal conflicts interfere with doing what is best for the organization and player(s) and realize they do not set precedent for the entire NHL to the detriment of their own franchise. If Yzerman feels trading Drouin helps TB the most, it will not be because he "caved" to Drouin's evil demands. It will be because the value TB got in return was deemed worth the price of letting Drouin go. And if he keeps Drouin, it will not mean he is going to let Drouin rot in the AHL IMO. It will likely mean he is not getting the value he wants and/or still believes Drouin can help TB succeed.

Yzerman is a smart GM and played himself so he knows how difficult getting a top 6 role on this roster is, how connected opportunity is to success in the development of young talent and how important developing young talent is for TB's present and future. He must understand a player like Drouin is not going to develop like they need him to playing in the AHL or on the 3rd line playing 10-12 mins/game in the NHL. He needs to be put in the top 6 and play with the best talent possible so he can show his full arsenal of skills. We saw this season when he started with Stamkos on the first line/1st PP and got 6 pts in 5 games. We saw in spurts last season when playing with better talent, he can produce as well, but they have to stick with it and not yo-yo him around at the slightest sign of struggle.

Selling a valuable asset like Drouin low can come back to bite the GM in the backside. Turris fought his way out of PHX and has thrived in OTT with a great opportunity to play with the best talent on the team and 1st PP etc. Seguin was sent to Dallas and has thrived in an even bigger way with a great opportunity. Getting the right value is and should be Yzerman's focus right now. If he doesn't, there is still time to see if that changes.