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The Jonathan Drouin saga has reached its boiling point.
According to his agent, Drouin asked for a trade out of the Tampa Bay organization all the way back in November. It’s the middle of January, he’s in the American Hockey League with the Syracuse Crunch on a reassignment from Bolts general manager Steve Yzerman. And it took just seven games in the AHL for the situation between Drouin’s camp and Yzerman to become downright volatile, too, as the Lightning have announced tonight that Drouin has been suspended without pay for his failure to show up for the team’s Wednesday night showdown with the Toronto Marlies at Ricoh Coliseum.
However, it doesn’t sound as if this is a no-call, no-show from Drouin. According to reports, Drouin is at Ricoh Coliseum with fellow Crunch scratches, but there has to be more to this for the Lightning to take this action (such as missing the morning skate or team meeting).
The Lightning’s shopping of the star prospect is nothing new, as Yzerman has been waiting for the best offer to come into the mix for the crafty winger, with interest from several Western Conference clubs along with a few within the Atlantic Division (Buffalo, Montreal, and Ottawa) as well.
But nothing has been a strong enough offer to force Yzerman to pull the trigger just yet.
In essence, the Bolts are waiting for the best deal, it hasn’t happened yet, and Drouin’s done waiting.
Drouin, the third overall pick from the 2013 NHL Draft, has scored two goals and added one assist in seven games with the Crunch, and it would appear that his camp is in essence sabotaging Yzerman’s effort to maximize the return for the 20-year-old by not playing. Bold strategy, Cotton.
In a way, you understand Drouin’s frustration. He did his part to keep this request private, the Lightning have not obliged that request, and now he’s toiling in the minors waiting for the call to set him free.
Here's a statement from Drouin's agent, Allan Walsh:
Statement from Drouin's agent Allan Walsh: pic.twitter.com/oWZKopXmwj
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 21, 2016It’s a messy situation that just got messier.
Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.