Jonathan Drouin Trade Rumors: Deal Looming
Jonathan Drouin Trade Rumors: Ottawa Not the Front-Runner
In a Sportnet report, latest Jonathan Drouin trade rumors are linking him to the Ottawa Senators – calling them front-runners to land the Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec native. This is merely speculation from a pair of TVA reporters, Louis Jean and Renaud Lavoie.
Jonathan Drouin is currently skating in Montreal, opting not to skate for Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
via Sportsnet,
According to two TVA reporters, the Ottawa Senators general manager is now the front-runner to land disgruntled Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin before the NHL trade deadline.
TVA’s Louis Jean reported the news Wednesday night, and colleague Renaud Lavoie asserted he had heard the same thing Thursday morning on The Jeff Blair Show on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.
“He’s always looking as a GM to find those players who quote-unquote ‘nobody wants anymore,’ ” Lavoie said. “Kyle Turris is a good example.”
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There’s speculation that Ottawa GM Bryan Murray hinted that the Senators are no longer in the running for Drouin (unconfirmed reports). It makes sense that Ottawa may still be looking to add to their top six. They’ve proclaimed themselves buyers with the addition of Dion Phaneuf, and sounds as though they plan to make another move – without significantly impacting the current roster.
So why are the Ottawa Senators not front-runners to land Jonathan Drouin? There’s only one player that would get a deal done from Lightning GM Steve Yzerman‘s standpoint – defenseman Cody Ceci. That’s simply not going to happen.
Rumors suggest the asking price for Drouin is rather astronomical (which is understandable). It would make sense that Steve Yzerman is targeting a similar age (to Drouin) blueliner in return.
When attempting to identify potential landing spots in regards to these Jonathan Drouin trade rumors, it’s important to remember that we’re dealing with very rare circumstances. These type of high-end prospects are almost never available. And, there’s very few teams ready to give up on prospects in their early 20s who are just starting to scratch the surface in terms of development.
Who should be considered the true front-runners, and which players are targets to lay the ground-work for a trade?
Anaheim Ducks – Cam Fowler or Sami Vatanen
That hole up the left-side in Anaheim’s top 12 needs to be addressed. They’ve gotten away with plugging certain players in that perform for periods of time, but need a more permanent solution – especially in the top six.
Colorado Avalanche – Tyson Barrie
It’s not that Colorado wants to trade Tyson Barrie, or could afford to move a d-man for that matter – but there’s a deep link here. Going back to his junior days, there’s a connection between Jonathan Drouin, Nathan MacKinnon, and head coach Patrick Roy. Don’t be surprised if Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman hammer out a deal.
Which teams can be considered dark-horses/less likely to land Jonathan Drouin?
Florida Panthers – Dmitry Kulikov or Erik Gudbranson
We’re not suggesting Florida is interested in moving any young blueliners. They’re simply fits for what Steve Yzerman would be targeting.
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Mile High Sticking
Minnesota Wild – Mathew Dumba
This is an intriguing possibility. They’ve got an abundance of young defenseman, and could sacrifice Dumba in hopes of adding some scoring depth.
Nashville Predators – Ryan Ellis
David Poile isn’t likely interested in moving another blueliner. It’s well-known the Preds could use one more offensive threat though. While unlikely, this scenario isn’t impossible.
New York Islanders – Thomas Hickey or Ryan Pulock
Who knows if Steve Yzerman would even be interested in one of New York’s young blueliners, whether it be one of the two above, or say Calvin De Haan, Nick Leddy, or Johnny Boychuk (if they were somehow made available). The Islanders are a possibility because of a weakness up the left side. If they were to trade someone other than Pulock – he’s close enough to being NHL ready to step up.
Toronto Maple Leafs – Jake Gardiner
This is a wildly unpopular option to Leafs fans, but regardless it remains a possibility. The only reason Toronto makes this deal is based on their rebuild plan. Management has no plans of being a winning team anytime in the near future – it’s a process. If the Maple Leafs want to draft and develop their own talent on the back-end, and have confidence they could replace a talented Jake Gardiner – Drouin’s a real option for Toronto.
Vancouver Canucks – Chris Tanev
It’s more likely the Canucks start shipping out older veterans before younger guys like Tanev. There have been past reports linking Tanev to trade rumors – this suggests teams are calling and inquiring about his availability. The only reason Vancouver is an option is their need for top six talent.
Next: Jonathan Drouin: Two Sides to Every Story
Montreal Canadiens – no NHL ready defense to offer
We include them on the list strictly for being a homegrown French-Canadian kid. If Tampa Bay is willing to accept a package of forwards and/or prospects, the Canadiens have a deeper talent pool, and are more likely/willing to overpay in comparison to the Senators.