In a bursting group of promising young forwards, Jonathan Drouin stands out as a possible star of the future. The present is still a work in progress, though.
After making his NHL postseason debut in Game 4, Drouin won’t play for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. He’s a healthy scratch, as Bryan Burns of the team’s website reports.
Considering his potential, some might find this confounding, yet even a simple look at the numbers explains the Bolts’ thinking. Drouin was a -2 in Game 4, which is troubling in a 3-2 overtime win. His ice time really revealed a lack of confidence, though, as he only received 8:42 TOI.
Does that mean Drouin won’t get another chance during the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs? Not necessarily, but this definitely a bit of a setback for the third pick of the 2013 NHL Draft.