Jonathan Drouin Trade Situation: What Do Tampa Bay Lightning Fans Think?

What do Tampa Bay Lightning fans think of the unfolding trade saga between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin?

There is definitely a disturbance in the force here in the Bolts Nation today. While it may not be the tear inducing, heartbreaking force disturbance from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it is definitely not a a feel-good day here in hockey paradise where many Tampa Bay Lightning fans live.

Unless you have been living under a rock during the last 24 hours, there is no doubt you have caught wind of the ongoing saga between the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin, and his agent Allan Walsh. As most of you know by now, on Saturday afternoon, as the Tampa Bay Lightning prepared to finish off their six-game home stand against the Minnesota Wild, it was announced Jonathan Drouin had been assigned to the Lightning’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

While Yzerman stated that Drouin understood the reason behind the move, the reaction Drouin gave after leaving Yzerman’s office was far less than one of understanding. In fact, Erik Erlendsson described his first interaction with Drouin as “a very unhappy looking Jonathan Drouin.”

It would seem as if there is much more to this story than anyone would have ever imagined. Earlier today, it was announced by Jonathan Drouin’s agent Allan Walsh that Drouin had requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning and his intentions remain the same.

RELATED: Steve Yzerman Will Act “In The Best Interest” of the Tampa Bay Lightning

Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Lightning was on a plane to Calgary at the moment, so Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman didn’t have an opportunity to properly address the situation from his vantage point. Thankfully, when the Tampa Bay Lightning landed safely in Calgary, Yzerman wasted no time in letting his intentions be known, and perfectly clear.

In Yzerman’s statement, Yzerman made it clear that “Moving forward, my sole intention is to act in the best interest of the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey club.” Considering Steve Yzerman’s track record with the Tampa Bay Lightning, we here at Bolts By The Bay would not expect anything less from the Lightning General Manager.

There has certainly been a lot of talking since then about whether this was part of a huge publicity stunt by Drouin and/or his agent to bully Yzerman into granting their request by swaying public opinion in their favor, whether or not it would be in the team’s best interest to grant Drouin’s request, and even where Drouin could land if a trade is offered.

The one thing many people have failed to touch on is, what do the fans here in the Bolts Nation think of everything that has been going on in this dramatic saga?

RELATED: Jonathan Drouin Requests Trade From the Tampa Bay Lightning

Well…never fear, Bolts fans! We have you covered. We’re going to take a moment away from all the chaos surrounding the Tampa Bay Lightning and soon-to-be Syracuse Crunch locker room for a few moments and take a look at what some of the Tampa Bay Lightning fans here in the Bolts Nation have to say about everything that has transpired today.

Judging by what we have seen over the course of the last few hours, if this was some sort of a childish attempt to bully Yzerman into granting his request, whether perpetrated by Walsh, Drouin, or some combination of the two, it has severely backfired.

Even people outside of the Bolts Nation have an opinion on the matter, and again…it’s not real favorable for Drouin.

Our favorite comment of the night comes from someone who would certainly know what it takes when presented with a situation like the one Drouin is presented with right now; former Toronto Maple Leafs right wing and current TSN Radio Broadcaster Jeff O’Neill.

It’s absolutely amazing how something that started out so small can so quickly evolve into this monster wreaking havoc on a hockey club that is doing everything within their power to make up for their shortcomings early on in the season and make their way to a comfortable position for the impending post season.

It will definitely be interesting to see how this whole ordeal plays out, but there are a couple things we know for sure. First of all, Drouin holds his own future in his hands. If he can do as he’s been asked and report to Syracuse on Tuesday, work on his game, and prove he deserves to be back on the Lightning’s main roster, than what will be will be. Unfortunately, if he fails to prove himself, it may very well be the end of the line.

RELATED: Dissecting The Jonathan Drouin Situation

Also, Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman will not be bullied into making a hasty decision that could impact the Tampa Bay Lightning’s future successes. When Yzerman is ready to make a decision, he will make his decision known and it will most certainly be in the best interest of one thing and one thing only…the Tampa Bay Lightning.

What do you think of the entire Jonathan Drouin trade situation? Do you think a trade is what’s best for the Tampa Bay Lightning? Do you feel Drouin has yet to prove himself here in the Bolts Nation? Is everyone being too hard on the young forward? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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