Tampa Bay Lightning Rumors: Unhappy Players

Tampa Bay Lightning Rumors: Is Jon Cooper to Blame for Drouin, Stamkos?

Tampa Bay lightning rumors took a strange twist this past weekend when Jonathan Drouin‘s agent, Allan Walsh, made public that he made a trade request for his client back in November.

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This coming after several reports about Steven Stamkos over the past year. It started back in the 2014-15 playoffs when Stamkos felt coach Jon Cooper wasn’t playing him enough. The saga continued with uncertainty over his center position. A lot of experts felt the writing was on the wall for Stamkos to become a free agent after Tampa Bay extended coach Jon Cooper to a long-term contract earlier this season.

It’s not common for rocky relationships between coach and player in the NHL to be made public, let alone, two players from the same team having “reported” issues with the coach (even though neither player will admit it publicly). People aren’t naive enough to believe this is some type of coincidence, and that there’s nothing to it.

GM Steve Yzerman could be facing a defining moment in his management career in how he handles both Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Drouin. By extending his coach, he’s put his back in Jon Cooper’s corner. That could be a dangerous play when you’re going head-to-head with one of the NHL’s biggest superstars, and a highly touted prospect.

It doesn’t matter if Jonathan Drouin has zero control of his destiny being in the second year of his entry-level deal. His agent going public holds much more significance than most realize. The hockey world is wondering what’s wrong with Tampa Bay in 2015-16, and Jonathan Drouin being the second player to have a riff with Jon Cooper confirms the real problem.

Whether it’s a divide in the dressing room, or perhaps, some of these guys have stopped playing for Jon Cooper? There’s something going on in the background. Suspicions suggest the bench boss is responsible for partial blame, at minimum.

What options is GM Steve Yzerman left with? Whether he made a mistake extending his coach or not, removing the distractions should be top priority. You’re not serving your team or fan base any good by keeping Stamkos and Drouin around.

Letting Steven Stamkos walk into free agency July 1st, and losing him for nothing, would be devastating. It would need to considered among the biggest GM blunders in hockey history. Unfortunately for Tampa, a full no-movement clause kicked in this past summer. Stamkos now has complete control over his destiny, and of course he could say no to any deal.

If you know you can’t re-sign him, it makes little sense to keep him for a potential Stanley Cup run. If you have to win a Stanley Cup to convince him to stay, he’s not your guy. And, if you do win a Cup with him, and he walks, how do you explain that to your fan base? There’s very few benefits to keeping him after everything that’s transpired thus far.

Nov 1, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper looks on from the bench against the Carolina Hurricanes during the 1st period at PNC Arena. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

In regard to Jonathan Drouin. Most experts are quick to criticize the former third overall pick. It’s true, he’s only in the second year of his entry-level deal, leaving him with limited control. People also said the same thing about Kyle Turris before he was finally traded to Ottawa.

Experts are expecting that Drouin pay his dues in Syracuse and earn his roster spot and minutes. It’s possible, but a more unlikely option for the final result in this scenario. If the kid isn’t responding to Jon Cooper’s coaching style, that’s not something likely to make a dramatic change. He’s never going to put everything out on the table and spill his guts for this coach. This makes for nothing more than an additional distraction to drag this team down.

Next: Jonathan Drouin Trade Rumors: Potential Suitors

So how will GM Steve Yzerman respond? These decisions could make for defining moments when people look back at Tampa Bay or Yzerman’s management resume. What he decides to do with Drouin and Stamkos may have a significant impact on his team’s success over the next decade. But these won’t be easy decisions to make. Is there any way that Yzerman comes out of this looking like a genius? If so, what path does he need to take? Let us know what you think below.

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