Lightning suspend Drouin without pay, agent says he won’t play until traded
The staring contest between Steve Yzerman and Jonathan Drouin just went nuclear.
The most famous 20-year-old AHL’er at the moment did not show for the Syracuse Crunch’s game against the Toronto Marlies. For that, the Crunch’s parent club, the Tampa Bay Lightning, suspended the forward without pay for not appearing.
So, Drouin decided to take his puck and go home? How grown up and mature of him. Surely this will go over well with the loads of scouts in attendance at the Marlies game IN TORONTO and in the court of public opinion.
BUT this wouldn’t be soap opera without some confusion. Elliotte Friedman tweeted:
Say whaa?
Alan Walsh, professional sh– stirrer and Drouin’s agent, later texted a statement:
No amount of couple’s counseling is going to save this relationship.
With this statement by Walsh, Yzerman’s return on Drouin is a significantly less than he may have received had he pulled off this trade a couple days ago. But there is something to be said for GMs that are wary to take on Drouin knowing the baggage that will follow him.
Consider the Anaheim Ducks. They were thought to be one of the more aggressive teams in pursuing Drouin. Then GM Bob Murray said, “There’s more than just [Drouin] that’s probably out there and available right now. Let’s just leave it at that. We’re looking at a whole bunch of things. We know he’s there, but there’s a few others out there, too, that haven’t requested trades. Requesting trades on entry level, that’s something new for you and I. … Entry-level players requesting trades. Amazing.”
Drouin is talented, no doubt; however, is the behavior worth giving up assets for?
Damn millennials.
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Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @MsJenNeale_PD.
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