Jonathan Drouin to report to AHL as Lightning lift suspension
The Tampa Bay Lightning lifted their suspension of forward Jonathan Drouin on Monday. According to the Lightning, Drouin reported to their AHL affiliate and will practice with the Syracuse Crunch Tuesday.
Drouin, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, has been suspended by the Lightning since Jan. 20 for a “failure to report” to Syracuse.
According to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, Drouin had to report by Monday in order to be eligible to play in the Calder Cup playoffs. Tampa general manager Steve Yzerman said Drouin called him last week, after the Feb. 29 trade deadline, expressing interest in returning to the Tampa organization.
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"It was, if anything, a pleasant surprise," Yzerman said according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Yzerman also said he "wouldn't exclude that possibility" of recalling Drouin for the team's playoff push "if Jonathan is playing well and is the right fit."
Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop said Drouin would be welcomed back into the locker room with "open arms" if he returns to Tampa. Drouin had three points in seven AHL games this year. In 19 games this season with Tampa had had two goals and six assists.
Drouin demanded a trade from the Lightning in November and the team sent him to Syracuse in early January. Following seven games in Syracuse, Drouin opted to not play until he was traded.
After the Lightning were unable to unload Drouin by trade deadline, Yzerman said the door was open for the 20-year-old winger to return to the Tampa organization, though Yzerman also said he preferred to wait until the summer to better gauge his trade options. On Monday, Yzerman indicated the relationship between the player and Drouin could be salvaged.
"I'm not going to rule anything out," he said.
If Drouin is traded during the remainder of the NHL regular season he wouldn't be eligible to play in the postseason. Yzerman said he was not looking to deal Drouin at this juncture.
Drouin had been practicing at home since the suspension. Recently it was reported Drouin had burnt an entry-level year off his contract, which could make him less attractive to teams trying to trade for him.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
