ESPN: On Jonathan Drouin.
- Pierre LeBrun: “I’ve already had a few NHL hockey execs tell me Drouin’s refusal to play on in the AHL raises a red flag on the player’s makeup, and makes them wonder about giving up the assets they were prepared to part with in return for Drouin. On the flip side, some teams will stick to the belief that a change of scenery is all the kid needs to flourish.”
- Craig Custance: “I certainly understand the idea that this raises a parade of red flags surrounding Drouin, but it was also pointed out to me that GMs are used to taking a long-range view of things.” …. “Now, as one source pointed out, there’s one notion that Drouin might have a hard time escaping, and that’s the idea that he’s quitting on his teammates. That’s a cardinal sin in hockey.”
- Scott Burnside: “If I’m a GM and I see a boy pouting and refusing to play in the AHL because he’s mad (or even worse, because his agent tells him not to), then I offer as little as possible. And if I’m Yzerman (and I rarely pretend to be the Hall of Famer, outside of Halloween), I close the book on Drouin and don’t reopen it until the offseason, as we head into the draft.”
- Joe MacDonald: “What has this former can’t-miss prospect accomplished in the NHL that makes him and his agent feel they can act like this? Deciding not to play in the AHL is disrespectful to the game, to the Lightning organization and to fans. Even if Yzerman completes a trade, I’m sure the majority of the players in the NHL would not want Drouin as a teammate right now.”
- Platinum Seat Ghosts: Bob McKenzie on Jonathan Drouin last night: “They’ve had some pretty significant offers by all accounts on the table.”
- Platinum Seat Ghosts: Elliotte Friedman on Jonathan Drouin: “If the Lightning decide not to make the move, they’ll make it at the draft and get something good.”
- Platinum Seat Ghosts: Bob McKenzie on Droun: “By going home, he’s trying to make himself a bit of a diminishing asset. That is put a little bit of pressure on SY.” … Since Drouin can only play for Syracuse until he’s traded, MacKenzie says “He could effectively be out for years if there was no trade.”
- Platinum Seat Ghosts: Darren Dreger after talking to some GMs: “certainly weren’t flattering or supportive of this decision made by Jonathan Drouin”