Arizona Coyotes – Jonathan Drouin Trade Possibility
When a former third overall draft pick comes up available, the Arizona Coyotes must take a look at him.
Jonathan Drouin of the Tampa Bay Lightning has made it known that he wants to be traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning who drafted him in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He was a product of the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL and had 29 goals and 79 assists in just 46 games there.
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His NHL career has not gone exactly as he wished, or as the Lightning had wished either, for that matter. His 89 game NHL career shows just six goals and 34 assists. He seems to be a good play-making left wing, but he has defensive liabilities which he needs to work on and improve. His Corsi for percent is a decent 53.1, which means he’s on the ice more times when his team scores, than not.
Drouin has a reasonable salary cap hit of only $894,167, and is under contract thru the 2017 season. He has seen limited action this season with just 19 games under his belt, due to injuries.
GM Steve Yzerman has stated to Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports: “I think he’s a tremendous young talent,” Yzerman said. “One, he needs to stay healthy and get in the lineup and show what he can do.”
Now, Yzerman may have most of his time focused on whether he is going to be able to retain superstar Steven Stamkos or not, and seems to not care about Drouin’s plight.
The kid has some speed, I mean some Max Domi, or Anthony Duclair speed. And, what was one of the ingredients which GM Don Maloney of the Arizona Coyotes emphasized in his “retool” of the team? SPEED…
Can’t you imagine another speedster on the Arizona Coyotes’ team to complement Domi, Duclair, and Rieder? Would any team be able to counter all the blurs of players passing them by like race cars? It may only be a dream, but I bet Maloney is checking out what Tampa Bay is going to do with the talented 20 year-old. Maloney knows talent when he sees it.
The factor which puts the Arizona Coyotes in the rumor mill to acquire Drouin is their prospect pool is deep, and the Lightning may be interested in a puck moving defenseman like Philip Samuelson of the Arizona Coyotes’ AHL Springfield Falcons. Perhaps him, and a draft pick and/or a prospect would sweeten the pot for the Lightning to move on a deal.
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GM Maloney has stated that he would do whatever it takes to improve his team, and this may be just something he can do without bankrupting the team’s budget, or losing too much future talent.
After all, Drouin seems to be a good talent himself, he just hasn’t gotten his chance yet to prove himself. Arizona may be just the place to have him show that being the third overall pick a couple years back was not a fluke.
YOUR MOVE DON…