Jonathan Drouin: Development Gone Wrong?

It has been apparent from the start that the Tampa Bay Lightning were going to take the less popular route in developing the 2013, 3rd overall draft pick. Many expected Jonathan Drouin to come straight out of the draft and be given a role in the NHL, possibly even pairing up with Steven Stamkos. Those who thought it would be that easy had a reality check when the young winger was sent back to Halifax of the QMJHL to continue his development. From there, the situation only became more complex.

After recording 29 goals and 79 assists in 46 QMJHL games during the 2013-14 season, it had become apparent that Drouin had outgrown the junior league. With such outstanding statistics, things began to look promising for the rising star heading into the 2014-15 season. With the AHL not an option due to age restrictions, the Lightning either had the option to claim the player for the NHL roster, or send him back to dominate the QMJHL for yet another year.

The choice to keep Drouin in the NHL seemed obvious at first, but this is where another reality check came. Many of you who follow the QMJHL know that it is unnecessary for forwards with speed to think defensively on almost any occasion. The few times that there is a break going the other way, speed allows the forward to get back into the play quickly enough that they are not seen as a defensive liability. This changes when you get to the higher levels.

For many players, the AHL is the first place where they are playing with others who are on a similar speed and skill level. This is the reason that the league is usually used for future NHL forwards to develop a defensive mindset. Since Drouin was not eligible for the AHL due to his age, he never got the chance to learn these skills. The only option was to develop Drouin in the NHL.

The NHL however, is typically not seen as a development league, the head coach is responsible for putting the team on the ice that is most likely to win each individual game. This is where head coach Jon Cooper and general manager Steve Yzerman made their biggest mistake. Drouin needed ice time and he needed it while playing his role. Whether it was good for the team or not, it was important for development.

Instead of allowing Drouin to play his role, he spent the majority season with very limited ice time on the 4th line, which may be where he fits in now, but the intentions are not to teach Drouin to be our best 4th line forward. Yes, there are better playmakers for the first and second line that are less less of a defensive liability, but we know that Drouin has the potential to outshine all of them if allowed to develop in that role. It was a mistake to not to allow him to develop properly throughout the regular season when there really was no doubt that the Lightning would make the playoffs.

With that said, the past is the past, and what we need to be looking at now is how Jonathan Drouin should be handled in the future. As much complaining as there has been about Drouin being scratched for the majority of playoff games, you really can’t blame Cooper and crew for doing what they are trying to do. In most cases during this postseason it has been more advantageous to have a physical two-way forward then in unproven playmaker. The playoffs are simply not the time to work on developing a young player.

As for next season, the Lightning have a number of options as to what they can do with Drouin. My personal opinion is that they should send him to the AHL for the first few months of the season to develop his defensive game. There he can get as much playing time as he needs while still developing in his role of a first line playmaker. Depending on performance, you have the option to bring him up to the NHL sometime around the All-Star break which gives him time to continue learning his role against even more skilled competition before the playoffs.

For now, the distraction of Drouin being scratched in the postseason needs to go away. This isn’t about who is and isn’t playing in games, it’s about the results. His fault or not, Jonathan Drouin has not done enough to claim a spot on the ice during the playoffs and there’s nothing we can do to change that. It’s time to focus on the task at hand and worry about the development of young players when it’s all over.

Next: Lightning Fall Short In Game 1 Of Eastern Conference Finals

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