Tampa Bay Lightning: 30 Best Draft Picks In Franchise History

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

16. Jonathan Drouin

Draft Year: 2013

Position: Forward

Forward Jonathan Drouin has had a steep learning curve in the NHL, but continues to get better everyday. The combination of speed, skating ability, vision, and quick hands make him a great playmaker and threat on the ice. As the third overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft, Drouin knew he mad a lot of expectations to meet and he continues to work hard to become the player everyone expects him to become.

Going into the draft, Drouin was highly regarded as one of the top overall prospects in the 2013 class. He had speed, he had skill, he had vision, and he had the making of a player that could one day be a top 10 scorer in the NHL. Well, there is nothing that has changed my mind that Drouin can not one day live up to those high expectations that were set for him coming out of Canadian junior. The reason why? A combination of individual skill and the players around him.

In 70 games last season, Drouin recorded 4 goals and 28 assists for a total of 32 points. That may not seem like a lot, but in comparison to the amount of ice time, Drouin was third on the team with 2.07 points/60 mins of ice time. This while playing on the fourth line for a majority of the time with players like Brian Boyle and Brenden Morrow that aren’t known to be major scoring threats.

Jonathan Drouin has all of the tools available to one day become a top 10 scorer in the NHL. Along with the highly skilled teammates that surround him, Drouin has the ability to put up monster assist numbers and has the shot to keep goaltenders honest. With increased ice time this season, once Drouin comes back from injury, he will once again prove why he is one of the best player on this deep Lightning roster.

Next: Hard-Hitting Mara Joins The Party