Yzerman leaves door open for Drouin to return to Lightning

Steve Yzerman discusses not trading Jonathan Drouin and how he wanted to find something that would help the team in the immediate future.

The National Hockey League trade deadline came and went without a deal involving suspended Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin.

Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman intimated that there was plenty of interest in Drouin, but he failed to find a deal he liked. Yzerman is open to the disgruntled 20-year-old rejoining the Lightning this season, although he has not reached out to Drouin or his agent Allan Walsh.

“If he wants to come back, the door is open,” Yzerman said via the Tampa Bay Times. “That’s up to him.”

“I wasn’t trading Jonathan Drouin for an unrestricted free agent that I couldn’t or wouldn’t want to re-sign, that made no sense,” Yzerman said.

Drouin was suspended indefinitely in January after he failed to show up for an AHL Syracuse Crunch game versus the Toronto Marlies. In a dramatic turn, Walsh went public with details of a trade request.

Yzerman will re-examine the trade market for Drouin in the summer.

Drouin has two goals and eight points in 19 games with the Lightning this season. He has not played hockey since Jan. 18.

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