Tampa Bay Lightning: Reliving The Top 5 Moments Of 2016
By Will Clewis
5. Drouin Emerges As A Scoring Threat In The Playoffs
After what seemed like a disastrous end to their relationship at the start of 2016, Jonathan Drouin and the Tampa Bay Lightning tied up some loose ends during the second half of last season, and Drouin became a threat for the Lightning during the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year.
Tampa Bay Lightning
If you don’t recall the dramatic saga between him and the organization, Drouin didn’t feel like he was being used properly by head coach Jon Cooper, and as a result, he would either be scratched or receive less playing time.
This also prompted General Manager Steve Yzerman to send down the young Drouin to the AHL so that he could receive more ice time with the Syracuse Crunch.
However, even that wasn’t enough to convince Drouin that he’d “find his game” and work his way back up to the Lightning. The 20-year-old Quebec native, at the time, and his agent, Allan Walsh, requested that he be traded to another team, but Yzerman didn’t cave in and stayed true to his will for Drouin.
Once the Feb. 29 trade deadline passed, no deal was reached, and it appeared he would stay with the Lightning for the time being. In hindsight, that couldn’t have been a better blessing for the organization.
Going back in time a bit, on Jan. 20, while the Tampa Bay Lightning were in the midst of a seven-game win streak, Drouin opted to not play in a game against the Toronto Marlies with the Crunch. As a result, Tampa Bay suspended Drouin indefinitely without pay, hoping that he would reflect on the situation and see what he wanted to do going forward.
He returned to the Lightning in April right before the playoffs began, and the rest is history. Drouin scored five goals and had 14 points in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and he scored some key goals for the Lightning during their chase for the Cup in 2016. As for this season, he’s a mainstay in the lineup, and you’ll see him on the ice almost every night, when he’s not injured, of course.