Jonathan Drouin’s season from hell is finally starting to turn around.
The 21-year-old was recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning and was greeted at practice with a warm reception as teammates tapped their sticks in solidarity for him.
As team gathers around Cooper for first instructions, players tap their sticks for Drouin, he cracks a small smile
— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) April 7, 2016
Jonathan Drouin waiting on the bench for #tblightning morning skate pic.twitter.com/yAdZ8UO3FJ
— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) April 7, 2016
Drouin’s return was unlikely given all that’s transpired over the last few months. He wasn’t happy when he was sent to the minors earlier this campaign, failed to report and demanded a trade. His agent Allan Walsh released a statement saying Drouin had “no reason” to continue playing for Tampa Bay and was eagerly awaiting a trade.
Allan Walsh statement on Jonathan Drouin pic.twitter.com/mBA4txQIJN
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) January 21, 2016
That trade obviously never happened. Steve Yzerman stuck to his guns and didn’t relent. Instead of selling on Drouin when his value was at an all-time low, Yzerman made a wager against Walsh’s statement and waited it out. As the deadline passed, it became clear Drouin wasn’t going anywhere and the bluff collapsed, as Drouin reported to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.
Still, it didn’t seem likely Drouin would return to the NHL anytime soon. That’s until star forward Steven Stamkos went down with a blood clot. Drouin was tearing it up in the minors and justified a call-up. The speedster could provide the Lightning with an offensive spark which was desperately needed in wake of the Stamkos news. Yzerman called up Drouin, and here we are.
The situation seemed unfixable, but through patience, it seems the Lightning’s relationship with the budding star has been somewhat repaired. Thankfully common sense prevailed. Drouin is going to have a good, long NHL career, so it’s great to see him back where he belongs.
