Outplayed or not given a chance? I don't recall how many games in a row, Drouin played with Stamkos in the regular season? I don't recall it being a whole game? I don't question Yzerman as much as I have an issue with Cooper on the ice time of DRouin and his line mates.
- Leafsandbolts

When at any time has Drouin shown that he can be counted on to be a responsible 20 min per game player? That's why he didn't get any significant length of time with Stammer or on any other top line.

It's an absolute travesty what the Leafs are doing with Nylander - keeping one of the 1000 best hockey players out of the world's 7.6B population in arguably the 2nd best pro league in the world to better learn his trade as a 19 year old.

The Leafs are extremely lucky he's not exercising his God given right to refuse to play and risk injury unless management puts him on the 1st line and PP in the NHL because he thinks he's good enough to.

It's an absolute travesty what the Leafs are doing with Nylander - keeping one of the 1000 best hockey players out of the world's 7.6B population in arguably the 2nd best pro league in the world to better learn his trade as a 19 year old.

The Leafs are extremely lucky he's not exercising his God given right to refuse to play and risk injury unless management puts him on the 1st line and PP in the NHL because he thinks he's good enough to.
- 1979AD

Perfect!!!!!!

It's an absolute travesty what the Leafs are doing with Nylander - keeping one of the 1000 best hockey players out of the world's 7.6B population in arguably the 2nd best pro league in the world to better learn his trade as a 19 year old.

The Leafs are extremely lucky he's not exercising his God given right to refuse to play and risk injury unless management puts him on the 1st line and PP in the NHL because he thinks he's good enough to.
- 1979AD

This would be much better if you tell us how evil the Leafs ownership is.

This would be much better if you tell us how evil the Leafs ownership is.
- MJL

their owners are the cable company and the phone company...

their owners are the cable company and the phone company...
- Tumbleweed

Yes, which is why I said ownership and not owner. And it was a joke.

I am a proud socialist my good man, as are like 99% of people who say they hate socialism. But owners have been exploiting players for years.
- James_Tanner

If there were no owners, there would be no NHL. It's up to the players association to negotiate contracts with the league that they view as fair. It's ridiculous saying the players are exploited. If they were exploited they wouldn't be making the money they do now. The NHL overall is not a hugely profitable league like the NFL or MLB. If there was a free market on all players without a salary cap there would be only about 6-8 teams that could compete and probably half of the other teams would fold. Is that what you want? How does that benefit the players?

He has 40 points in 89 career games, a grand total of 6 goals. Get out of here with he's proven to be NHL quality. In 19 games this year he has 8 points.
- tomburton99

Ummm... here's some comparables:

Tarasenko in a slightly larger sample size: 102 games - 62 pts or .608 points per game
Stamkos: 79 games - 46 points or .582 points per game
Drouin, in limited minutes: 89 games - 40 points or .449 points per game
Barkov: 125 games - 60 points or .48 points per game

I'd say Drouin is NHL ready.

Ummm... here's some comparables:

Tarasenko in a slightly larger sample size: 102 games - 62 pts or .608 points per game
Stamkos: 79 games - 46 points or .582 points per game
Drouin, in limited minutes: 89 games - 40 points or .449 points per game
Barkov: 125 games - 60 points or .48 points per game

I'd say Drouin is NHL ready.
- eggsegan

Ok now compare Drouin to the players currently playing in the Bolts top 6

If there were no owners, there would be no NHL. It's up to the players association to negotiate contracts with the league that they view as fair. It's ridiculous saying the players are exploited. If they were exploited they wouldn't be making the money they do now. The NHL overall is not a hugely profitable league like the NFL or MLB. If there was a free market on all players without a salary cap there would be only about 6-8 teams that could compete and probably half of the other teams would fold. Is that what you want? How does that benefit the players?
- dctill

I wish I could be an NHL player, so I could be exploited. It must be awful.

The big problem is the artificial restriction of young players values. A hard cap already exists, so ELC contracts are redundant. Get rid of the draft, and just have them become UFA's when they hit 18. The cap will handle the rest.

Ok now compare Drouin to the players currently playing in the Bolts top 6
- uf1910

How about you do the work, if you are trying to make some kind of point...

How about you do the work, if you are trying to make some kind of point...
- eggsegan

Same point I have been making in this entire thread...Drouin isn't playing in top 6 b/c there are better players (right now) playing in the top 6

Kucherov has 20/20 this year
Stamkos (don't need to list stats)
Namestnikov has 10 goals this year (more than Drouin has scored in his career)
Palat and TJ were injured for large portions of the year but are clearly better players than Drouin right now
Killorn is a different style player than Drouin and fits better with Johnson and Kuch as a puck retriever which is one of Drouin's biggest faults

Our top 2 lines right now are Stammer/Palat/Namestnikov and Johnson/Kuch/Killorn

Where would Drouin fit in that top 6 that would make the Bolts a better team? That is and has been my point through this entire thread yet many who are arguing for Drouin continually avoid this fact that Drouin right now is not as good as the current players playing in top 6. Those players are playing better than Drouin ever has with production backing that up

EDIT: My point being with regards to this post that yes Drouin may be "NHL ready". But that doesn't mean he is top 6 ready much less better than the current players in the Bolts top 6.

Do the work. PPG.

Same point I have been making in this entire thread...Drouin isn't playing in top 6 b/c there are better players (right now) playing in the top 6

Kucherov has 20/20 this year
Stamkos (don't need to list stats)
Namestnikov has 10 goals this year (more than Drouin has scored in his career)
Palat and TJ were injured for large portions of the year but are clearly better players than Drouin right now
Killorn is a different style player than Drouin and fits better with Johnson and Kuch as a puck retriever which is one of Drouin's biggest faults

Our top 2 lines right now are Stammer/Palat/Namestnikov and Johnson/Kuch/Killorn

Where would Drouin fit in that top 6 that would make the Bolts a better team? That is and has been my point through this entire thread yet many who are arguing for Drouin continually avoid this fact that Drouin right now is not as good as the current players playing in top 6. Those players are playing better than Drouin ever has with production backing that up

EDIT: My point being with regards to this post that yes Drouin may be "NHL ready". But that doesn't mean he is top 6 ready much less better than the current players in the Bolts top 6.
- uf1910

Same point I have been making in this entire thread...Drouin isn't playing in top 6 b/c there are better players (right now) playing in the top 6

Kucherov has 20/20 this year
Stamkos (don't need to list stats)
Namestnikov has 10 goals this year (more than Drouin has scored in his career)
Palat and TJ were injured for large portions of the year but are clearly better players than Drouin right now
Killorn is a different style player than Drouin and fits better with Johnson and Kuch as a puck retriever which is one of Drouin's biggest faults

Our top 2 lines right now are Stammer/Palat/Namestnikov and Johnson/Kuch/Killorn

Where would Drouin fit in that top 6 that would make the Bolts a better team? That is and has been my point through this entire thread yet many who are arguing for Drouin continually avoid this fact that Drouin right now is not as good as the current players playing in top 6. Those players are playing better than Drouin ever has with production backing that up

EDIT: My point being with regards to this post that yes Drouin may be "NHL ready". But that doesn't mean he is top 6 ready much less better than the current players in the Bolts top 6.
- uf1910

Then that's poor drafting on your management's part. Choosing a NHL-ready player they don't need rather than filling a hole that they have or trading down to get additional picks to fill future needs.

Not too bright.

Then that's poor drafting on your management's part. Choosing a NHL-ready player they don't need rather than filling a hole that they have or trading down to get additional picks to fill future needs.

Not too bright.
- eggsegan

Yeah that same poor drafting took a bottom of the league farm system to one of the best young teams in the entire league, a young team that went to the SCF last year. If I need to list for you the great draft decisions Yzerman made I would be happy to but in reality you can just look at the (frank)ing roster and see Yzerman's draft picks littered across our roster.

So yeah, please go on about "poor drafting"

Yeah that same poor drafting took a bottom of the league farm system to one of the best young teams in the entire league, a young team that went to the SCF last year. If I need to list for you the great draft decisions Yzerman made I would be happy to but in reality you can just look at the (frank)ing roster and see Yzerman's draft picks littered across our roster.

So yeah, please go on about "poor drafting"
- uf1910

It's easy to have a ton of draft picks when you were practically in the lottery for 15 years straight.

2015 - no first rounder after going to the SCF
2014 - 19th pick and 5th pick of round 2
2013 - 3rd overall pick in rounds 1 & 2
2012 - 10th and 19th picks
2011 - 27th overall pick
2010 - 6th overall pick
2009 - 2nd and 29th overall pick
2008 - 1st overall pick

So, in 8 years your team has had a top 10 pick in 5 of the 8 drafts. I should hope that the crack scouting team down in Tampa Bay could figure out how to draft some decent players.

In short, your team has sucked and now you are reaping the rewards of enduring crappy teams. Congratulations.

It's easy to have a ton of draft picks when you were practically in the lottery for 15 years straight.

2015 - no first rounder after going to the SCF
2014 - 19th pick and 5th pick of round 2
2013 - 3rd overall pick in rounds 1 & 2
2012 - 10th and 19th picks
2011 - 27th overall pick
2010 - 6th overall pick
2009 - 2nd and 29th overall pick
2008 - 1st overall pick

So, in 8 years your team has had a top 10 pick in 5 of the 8 drafts. I should hope that the crack scouting team down in Tampa Bay could figure out how to draft some decent players.

In short, your team has sucked and now you are reaping the rewards of enduring crappy teams. Congratulations.
- eggsegan

just out of curiosity what is your team?

Ummm... here's some comparables:

Tarasenko in a slightly larger sample size: 102 games - 62 pts or .608 points per game
Stamkos: 79 games - 46 points or .582 points per game
Drouin, in limited minutes: 89 games - 40 points or .449 points per game
Barkov: 125 games - 60 points or .48 points per game

I'd say Drouin is NHL ready.
- eggsegan

Drouin has 6 points in 9 AHL games. Clearly one of the goats and on par with Tarasenko.

If he would just be a little patient, Tampa is definitely going to be making some changes in the coming years. Lots of RFA/UFAs coming up.

But for what it's worth, He's pretty much the best player in NHL16 after 2 or 3 seasons.. Wonder which GMs play?