Someone unkinked the NHL trade hose on Wednesday. But the trades may not be done quite yet. Brian Wilde of Montreal’s CTV reports that the Montreal Canadiens are “aggressively pursuing” Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin.
Drouin requested a trade a while back and his agent made this public this week, putting the 20-year-old forward in the spotlight in a way he’s never seen before.
Giving more credence to that report is Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that the Habs were one of two teams to reach out his Halifax Moosehead coaches from Drouin’s days in the QMJHL to do some background on the forward.
Drouin, the number three overall pick in the 2013 draft, performed incredibly in major junior, in the QMJHL postseason and in the Memorial Cup previously. He hasn’t clicked in the NHL yet, but usage questions have plagued his performance and are likely a central piece of his dissatisfaction with life in the Lightning organization.
Drouin, a Quebec native, would not only provide a lottery ticket on an elite scorer for Montreal, but would likely please Francophone fans.
The asking price may be steep with Tampa not seeming overly eager to make a move right away. It’s been suggested by multiple outlets that the asking price from Tampa may be Alex Galchenyuk. It’d be a steep price to pay for Drouin, who has a high upside, but is a bit of a risk for the team acquiring him.
