Adversity was a part of everyday life for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013-14. If the team’s start to this season is any indication, it looks like that might be the case once again. That was a joke. The sky isn't falling.
Today the team announced that Jonathan Drouin, arguably the best prospect in hockey, will be out up to four weeks with a fractured thumb.
According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Drouin indicated that he suffered the injury during Thursday’s practice; he didn’t inform the team until Friday. Smith also notes that Drouin said he will skate on his own so he is ready to play when healthy. That he won’t be able to participate in preseason action is obviously disappointing for him, the team, and fans.
The question now is what this means for Drouin. Due to age restrictions, he is not eligible to play this season in the American Hockey League. He can either go back to the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL, or stick with the Lightning in the NHL. Without having the opportunity to evaluate him in the preseason, the Bolts find themselves in a bit of a precarious situation.
One option the team does have, however, is to send Drouin down to the AHL for a conditioning stint. As Raw Charge’s Kyle Alexander notes, his time in the AHL would essentially serve as his preseason.
.@hockeybuzzstu Well they'll start off with a conditioning stint in the AHL most likely. That'll essentially be his camp/preseason.
— Kyle Alexander (@kalexanderRC) September 23, 2014Where things get interesting for me is here: What happens if the team either a) waits until he's healthy to play him in NHL games or b) gives him a conditioning stint in the AHL before putting him in NHL games, and then Drouin struggles when given the opportunity to play with the big club? Do you blame it on the injury and keep him up, or do you send him back down to Junior where he has exactly zero left to prove? This is all hypothetical, obviously.
Regardless, it’s not as though this is an injury that will hurt Drouin’s conditioning or fitness. As mentioned above, he will continue to skate on his own until he’s ready to return. This isn’t doomsday for the Lightning; it’s just another bump in the road. You should all look forward to seeing Drouin in a Bolts jersey sooner rather than later.
As always, thanks for reading.