Steven Stamkos does not believe that Jonathan Drouin’s trade request is a distraction to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a team that currently need to focus on making a return to the playoffs. Seven months after they represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup finals, the Lightning find themselves out of the playoffs. The last thing that the Lightning need is something that would distract them from their ultimate goal of bringing home the franchise’s second Stanley Cup. While the Lightning were surprised by Jonathan Drouin’s recent trade request, captain Steven Stamkos insists that it is not a distraction.
“He’s been a great teammate,” Steven Stamkos said, via NHL.com. “If that stuff’s been bothering him, he hasn’t let that come into the [dressing] room. He’s still our teammate. Nothing’s happened. This can all go away. There could be a trade, there could not. He could go down there, have a great run in the minors, get called up and play great, and it’s all in the past. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Drouin is currently with the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning’s AHL affiliate. Rumors of a rift between Drouin and head coach Jonathan Cooper started during the playoff run. Drouin found himself as a consistent healthy scratch. He has eight points in 19 games this season for the Lightning.
It doesn’t appear that Drouin’s trade request will be a distraction to the Lightning as they fight their way into a playoff spot. They trail the Ottawa Senators for the second wildcard spot by just two points.