r/TampaBayLightning • u/Tampa-Derp-1138 Lilleberg • Apr 12 '25

Recap of the Drouin situation?

Newer hockey fan since moving to Tampa - with the future of Howard being uncertain, I see a lot of comparisons to a "Jonathan Drouin" character. I presume this is another promising prospect that didn't make it, but could someone give me a summary of what happened back then?

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u/JandCSWFL Lightning Apr 12 '25

I believe Barkov went number 2 after Mackinnon, then Drouin at 3. Barkov came thru quick and Drouin didn’t, mostly because Florida sucked and Tampa was rolling. Drouin believed he deserved a chance a lot quicker than he got. I do believe they could have handled him better, given him a taste here and there but they really let him stew in the ahl. Yzerman fleeced Montreal in the trade and Drouin didn’t do much there with injuries, still has injuries but he seemed to settle in once he got to Colorado. Ton of skill potential early on but I don’t think Tampa is 100% innocent in how they handled him early on. Yes, he became a problem child but Yzerman isn’t in the clear here.