Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Rumors: Jonathan Drouin Requests to Be Traded
It's long been known among Tampa Bay Lightning fans that former third overall pick Jonathan Drouin wants out, and now he officially has asked the team to trade him. Drouin was actually demoted to the AHL Syracuse last Saturday, with a mediocre performance in the first five games he played this season.
The former top prospect only managed to produce six points comprising a goal and five assists. To be fair, though, he hasn't really been himself as of late due to a string of injuries that caused him to miss 19 games.
Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman revealed Drouin's request to the press. "We acknowledge, via communication from his agent, Jonathan Drouin's request to be traded," he said. Yzerman added that they have assigned the 20-year-old to the Syracuse Crunch and that they expect him to practice with the rest of the team.
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The purpose, according to him, is to give Drouin the playing time he needs in order to develop his game and improve his confidence.
The 2013 NHL Entry Draft third overall pick's agent, Allan Walsh, confirmed the news of the trade request. "On behalf of Jonathan Drouin, I formally requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Lighting back in November. We have not said one word about this untenable situation publicly until today," Walsh said.
Drouin is a Canadian professional hockey player who plays as left-winger. Before turning pro, he had a remarkable performance during the 2012-13 season, playing in the Quebec Major Junion Hockey League, where he was one of the stars for the Halifax Mooseheads. That year, he won the CHL Player of the Year Award and the Memorial Cup.
In this rookie season with the Lightning, he made four goals on top of 28 assists while appearing in 70 games. However, he did not produce a single point during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
