Rough rookie season leaves Drouin with chip on his shoulder
After enduring several high-profile growing pains during his rookie season, Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin is fixated on making more of an impact in the 2015-16 campaign.
The third overall pick of the 2013 NHL draft, Drouin collected four goals, 28 assists and 34 penalty minutes in 70 games during the 2014-15 season. But limited ice time was a significant hurdle for Drouin, who averaged just 13:14 during the regular season and over three minutes fewer in the playoffs. The 20-year-old, however, failed to record a point in six postseason contests and was a healthy scratch in the rest of Tampa Bay’s 20 postseason games.
"Definitely I have a little chip on my shoulder training this summer and going into training camp," Drouin told NHL.com.
Sometimes, teams let prospects like Drouin develop in the AHL, where they are more likely to see regular playing time as they adjust to the NHL’s pace. But Drouin said he would rather not dwell on the possibility of spending time with Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
"Nobody wants to go to the AHL," Drouin told the website. "That's not what I'm thinking about right now. I'm thinking about making the team and making more of an impact. Last year a lot of people said it wasn't my greatest year, but I gained a lot, I learned a lot, and I'm definitely more ready going into the season, into training camp."
(h/t NHL)
Photo credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
