Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jonathan Drouin has a fracture in his right thumb and will miss 2-4 weeks. The Calder Trophy favorite fell awkwardly in Thursday’s practice and couldn’t make it through Friday’s workout. This means Drouin will miss important NHL level preseason reps and possibly the start of the regular season. (Photo/Susan Ferlita)
The Lightning held any injury news about Drouin close to the vest, but once they realized he wasn’t getting better, they made the bad news public. Drouin was expected to start the season in the NHL, probably as a top six center/winger.
This is not a setback that will cost Drouin his spot on the NHL team, but you can be certain that Tampa Bay will proceed cautiously and be very conservative with his rehab. Placing Drouin directly into the NHL lineup without reps with the team may be a difficult task.
According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times:
“It’s unclear what it means for Drouin, the No. 3 overall pick in 2013, who either has to get a roster spot in Tampa Bay or get sent back to juniors. He could be put on team and placed on injured reserve to start the season, but associate coach Rick Bowness said those decisions will be made at a later date, as the Lightning lost some valuable evaluation time. Even Drouin admitted he’s a little worried.”
“I felt ready, I felt in shape, everything felt the way I wanted it to feel when I showed up here,” Drouin said. “So for this to happen is obviously unfortunate. Not much you can do about it.”
“It’s very disappointing for the kid, and disappointing for us,” coach Rick Bowness said. “Because we saw the improvements and we wanted to see how that transformed on the ice and we just haven’t had that opportunity. But that’s the hand we’ve been dealt.”
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