Calgary Flames And Jonathan Drouin A Match?

The Calgary Flames should be keeping an eye on the Jonathan Drouin situation; right now, he has the Tampa Bay Lightning in a tight spot and teams seeking a trade could leverage off this.

Per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, the Jonathan Drouin situation currently sits at somewhat of a stalemate until the point at which the player leaves the organisation:

At one point, it was suggested that Jonathan Drouin’s trade value if the Calgary Flames were to pursue a deal would’ve been as costly as Sam Bennett or another key prospect.

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However, given the current stalemate between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the player and his unwillingness to play ball, it seems likely the Calgary Flames would be able to seal a deal with a much more favourable offer of play-off pieces such as Dennis Wideman or Kris Russell.

The question now is whether the Calgary Flames should even consider pursuing a player that is willing to hold his team hostage. Between Drouin and his agent, they have essentially put the writing on the wall in terms of his time with in Tampa.

Drouin’s upside if he were to come to the Calgary Flames is undeniable; he’s averaged a point every other game for the Lightning when he was playing in the NHL; two goals and eight points across 19 games.

Obviously, Johnny Gaudreau would likely remain the first line left winger with the Calgary Flames even if they were to pick up Jonathan, but he could be a prized piece on a second line that should feature either Sam Bennett or Sean Monahan as the Calgary Flames move forward.

Is it worth the risk of unsettling the locker-room? Is their any guarantees that the player and his agent wouldn’t hold the Calgary Flames hostage down the line when it comes to discussing a new deal?

They are the unanswerable questions that’d certainly be attached to any sort of trade approach, however it wouldn’t be the dumbest move to make some enquiries and offer up some lesser assets to test the waters.

Next: Flames Likely Options At The 2016 Draft

Do you think Jonathan Drouin would be a good asset for the Calgary Flames to pursue? Or would he cause the same sort of problems seen with the Tampa organisation? Let us know in the comments section below.