Bob McKenzie: The Montreal Canadiens signed Jonathan Drouin to a six-year contract with a $5.5 million salary cap hit.
Erik Erlendsson: Drouin’s deal amount with the Canadiens was likely a factor in the Lightning trading him. They would have had a hard time fitting that contract in to go along with new deals of Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat.
Pierre LeBrun: Drouin gets a no-trade clause in the final two years of his deal.
Eric Engels: Allan Walsh, Drouin’s agent, had been going back and forth with Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin on scenarios as soon as the deal was made.
Bob McKenzie: If Drouin stay on the wing, the Canadiens still need to improve down the middle and now on the blueline too.
Bryan Burns: Lightning GM Steve Yzerman on if Mikhail Sergachev would be able to play with the Lightning next season: “We’re going to give Mikhail an opportunity to make our team. We’re hopeful he can”
Arpon Basu: Yzerman drove home the point that they Drouin-Sergachev trade was about acquiring a defenseman more than about the expansion draft and salary cap.
Mike Halford: Yzerman said that trade talks with the Canadiens started last week: “We started kicking around some names.”
Tampa Bay Lightning: The Canadiens will keep the 2018 2nd round pick if Sergachev doesn’t play 40 regular season and playoff games.
Stepen Whyno: The 2nd round pick originally belonged to the Washington Capitals. It was one of the two second round picks the Canadiens got from in the Capitals in the Lars Eller trade.
TSN 690 Radio: Pierre McGuire: “Drouin is not a centre…don’t be fooled…this is a team (MTL) that is swinging for the fences”
Bob McKenzie: Wonder if Drouin would be able to play center and not wing. Would guess that they would at least give it a try.