Drouin wants out. Allan Walsh is his agent

[Bosc]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=7957 ... l:topheads" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin requested to be traded in November, but the team is expecting him to be with its American Hockey League affiliate by Tuesday.

Drouin, the third pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, was assigned to AHL Syracuse on Saturday. He had six points (one goal, five assists) in his first five games this season, but missed 19 games because of injuries and has two points in his past 14 games.

"We acknowledge, via communication from his agent, Jonathan Drouin's request to be traded," Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said in a statement. "Moving forward, my sole intention is to act in the best interest of the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey club. In the meantime, Jonathan has been assigned to our American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and we expect him to report for practice with the rest of his teammates this Tuesday morning."

Yzerman on Saturday said Drouin's assignment to the AHL was to get him playing time. Drouin will not play against the Toronto Marlies on Sunday and is scheduled to practice Tuesday, the Crunch announced.

"On behalf of Jonathan Drouin, I formally requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning back in November," Drouin's agent, Allan Walsh, said in a statement. "We have not said one word about this untenable situation publicly until today. It's in everyone's best interests that Jonathan be allowed to move on and play hockey. Let's be clear, Jonathan loves playing for the fans in Tampa, he loves his teammates and many people within the Lightning organization have treated him well. It was his sincere intention to play in Tampa for many years."

Following his agent's statement Sunday, a return to Tampa Bay may be unlikely should the organization grant Drouin his request to move on and trade him.

Drouin, 20, had four goals and 28 assists in 70 games his rookie season. He did not have a point playing in six of the Lightning's 26 games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

[Pokecheque]

Fucking hell, is there something in the water in Tampa that's turning their best players into entitled brats, or is Jon Cooper just that hard to work for?

[E.L.]

This could always just resolve itself. Walsh doesn't mind taking the heat for his clients.

[E.L.]

Drouin suspended for skipping his AHL game. This escalated quickly.

[Stinky]

Princess Jhannaie didn't report to Halifax his first year either. Not till Nate was going did little jhannie princess decide to stop playing at home.

Talented?

Sure.

Wouldn't fuck him with Bosc's dick.

[Chris18]

I read his agent was told by the Lightning that a trade was very close, so the agent proposed Drouin sit out games but practice, so as not to get hurt. Lightning refused and told him to play on. Drouin got pissy and took his tricycle home. He then Tweeted that Yzerman isn't allowed on his property. Ever again. Unless he gives him gum. Then he'll be his BFF.

[Hounsy]

Well both sides may just be stubborn enough to ride this one of the cliff. Or they can claim they had a good heart to heart no one is to blame and they are moving forward together to a better future blah blah blah... it would be all bull shit but it would server both parties much better.

[Fogghorn]

Martin St. Louis, Drouin and it looks likely that Stamkos is leaving. Is it really Drouin that's the problem?

[Bosc]

Princess Jhannaie didn't report to Halifax his first year either. Not till Nate was going did little jhannie princess decide to stop playing at home.

Talented?

Sure.

Wouldn't fuck him with Bosc's dick.

[Hounsy]

Martin St. Louis, Drouin and it looks likely that Stamkos is leaving. Is it really Drouin that's the problem?

Failure to manage expectations of the players I would say and in the cases of St. Louis and Drouin they both expected things that did not happen as expected and lashed out so yes some of this has to fall on management whether or not the players are completely wrong or right. It is unavoidable to a degree with athletes and egos but when it keeps happening and is hurting the team you run you have to also look at yourself and what you can do to avoid it again.

[E.L.]

I still think Stamkos will sign in TB.

[hammer]

Yzerman made the point that it is hard to say that the Lightning are not good at developing prospects when you see Kucherov, Palat, Johnson, etc. And now this year looking at Nesterov and Namestikov (close enough) joining that group I find it hard not to agree with him. They have an awesome group of young, homegrown talent. Which is actually probably what is causing the Drouin situation - he hasn't played consistently well enough to leapfrog his way through this logjam of good young forwards.

I'm siding with Stevie Y on this one.

[Hounsy]

Browsing game logs and something happened game six for Tampa vrs Buffalo as after starting the season with 6 points in 5 games Drouin saw himself dropped to the fourth line and ice time down to 11:59 that game and he went ice cold at that point.

[E.L.]

Is Yzerman the problem? He's a bit of an egomaniac, no?

[Pokecheque]

Guys like Lacroix were more than egomaniacs--they were downright paranoid. And Brian Burke...good Lord. Yzerman's nowhere near those two.

While it makes sense to take a look at the fact that there appear to be three major defections under Yzerman's watch, the individual circumstances that led to them don't really seem to make Yzerman look all that bad.

St. Louis got all pissed because he didn't get picked for the Olympic team. Obviously if Yzerman had known the guy was gonna get THAT miffed over the snub, he wouldn't have done it.

Near as I can tell, Stamkos is unhappy with Cooper because he's being forced to play wing when he wants to be a center.

And it looks like Drouin's disaffection largely stems from Cooper keeping him low on the depth chart. For starters, that's probably a bit due (ironically) to the success of the organization in developing so many good players. Drouin's had to fight through guys like Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Nikita Kucherov, and so on. Cooper is also a bit guilty for relying too much on Johnson when the guy was still recovering from wrist surgery. That was probably a mistake, but no more a mistake than every other coach in the NHL makes on a daily basis. They all have their favorites. And frankly the level of maturity Drouin has displayed during this stretch pretty much proves Cooper was right all along.

So it sure looks like the worst move Yzerman may or may not have made was in continuing to trust in his coach...but really, the alternative was to either meddle in his affairs or fire the guy. I don't think there's anything he could've done differently to prevent this or the Stamkos situation from happening. Now maybe he COULD have avoided the St. Louis debacle by picking him over Kunitz (and in hindsight probably should have) but IMO St. Louis was the one coming off like a two-year old in that rather sordid situation.

[Fogghorn]

Interesting article that discusses the Nucks turning down a Horvat for Drouin trade. But their is a lot of insight on the Drouin situation. From what I see here if I was Drouin I'd be asking out as well.

http://canucksarmy.com/2016/1/26/why-th ... rouin-swap" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bosc]

The Lightning have lifted his suspension and he is reporting to the AHL.

https://www.nhl.com/news/tampa-bay-ligh ... -279430220" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Can't remember where I saw it but it was said that this whole mess was driven by Drouin and his parents, not Walsh.

[Stinky]

He failed to report to Halifax during his first year of Major Jr.

[E.L.]

Stamkos out. Drouin up. All seemingly forgiven.