In this edition of the hotstove we discuss which team(s) would be the best fit for Jonathan Drouin.
Todd Cordell
Any team could use a guy like Drouin and I'm sure there will be no shortage of suitors.
I'm not sure one stands out above the rest but a few teams seem to make more sense than others; although it's unknown what GM Steve Yzerman would want for Drouin if and when he trades him.
A few teams that could make sense are Arizona, Carolina, Toronto and New Jersey.
Though two of the four currently sit in playoff spots all three teams are rebuilding and/or retooling and trying to insert more talented young players into their lineup.
Again, it's hard to hand pick one or two teams as the asking price is unknown but those teams seem like they could be good fits.
Jason Lewis The team that immediately came to mind for me was Carolina. They are unbelievably thin at left wing. Kris Versteeg has been the 1L. That should tell you all you need to know about the depth chart.
It's also an organization that seems to be willing to play a more European style in terms of skill and speed over grindy cycling and size. Drouin would fit very nicely into that set up. He would almost immediately be given the minutes to thrive, and a set up with Eric Staal and Elias Lindholm would be preeettttty prettttty pretttty good.
John Jaeckel
Probably more than a few teams.
But one in particular is the Chicago Blackhawks, who have been trying a series of natural right wings out on Jonathan Toews' left flank all season—and not getting very good results.
That spot is referred to by Joel Quenneville as the "lottery spot," because those players are so easy to play with. Drouin is an extremely talented natural left wing whose playmaking could help jump-start Hossa, and find his own game playing with two future Hall of Fame players.
Crazy idea? The Hawks are heavily in the market for a top 6 LW and Tampa scout Tony Hrkac has been at several Rockford Ice Hog games in a row. And the price for a Jonathan Drouin could possibly be a Teuvo Teravainen and a top Rockford prospect like Viktor Svedberg or Ryan Hartman.
Ed Stein I'm on the fence here. There are a many teams that he could go to. Buffalo, NYI & Pit are all good choices, but I can't see the Bolts trading him to a team they would face that many times each season.
That brings me to the west. St. Louis is interested, but they seem to be very deep up front. The Ducks really need an impact LW and have the goods to deal. At this point in the season however, they need more of a proven commodity. The Preds are the best choice on this one. They have a group of young forwards on the way up Drouin could mix in with and some veteran leaders on the team to steer him in the right direction. Second option would by the Wild. He could really find a home skating with either Koivu or Granlund as his center.
James Tanner
The Leafs are the best fit because they are rebuilding and he is exactly what they need. Line him up with Kadri and it would be amazing.
They should send JVR to Tampa for Drouin and salary to match the cap (Filppula?).
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