TAMPA, Fla. -- The once-exiled Jonathan Drouin is proving he wants to be a hockey player.
No, scratch that. The 21-year-old, third overall pick in the 2013 draft has the ability to become a superstar. It's only a question of whether he wants it, and if he wants to do it for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In January, he requested a trade. Then he was suspended for refusing to report to the organization's AHL affiliate in Syracuse. He sat at home for nearly two months until he had a conversation with Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, who decided not to trade Drouin at the deadline. The troubled prospect was reinstated and he returned to the Crunch.
On April 7, he was recalled from Syracuse and scored twice in the final two games of the season. Because of injuries, mainly to captain Steven Stamkos, who remains sidelined after having surgery to remove a blood clot on April 4, Drouin was given an opportunity for a clean slate once the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs began.
And he hasn't disappointed.
He had four points (all assists) in five games against the Detroit Red Wings in the first round. He registered an assist in Game 1 against the New York Islanders, and he recorded his first career postseason goal to help the Lightning to a 4-1 win in Game 2 on Saturday at Amalie Arena. The series is tied 1-1. Game 3 is Tuesday in Brooklyn.
In Game 2, Drouin was one of the best players on the ice.
"Drouin's a special player," said teammate Tyler Johnson, who scored two goals (one empty-netter) and added an assist in Game 2. "The things he can do and the ability he has is pretty remarkable. I think he's getting that confidence, he's taking pucks to the net and you can see what he does in corners. He's a fun guy to watch. He's getting that confidence and he's just going to keep getting better. He's learning as he goes. That's huge."
He's doing the right things on the ice, and he's saying the right things off it. Now, it's about looking toward the future and, with that mindset, it's helping his confidence grow.
"Definitely easier," he said. "A lot of stuff has been said and done, but I'm past that, like I've said many times. I'm just focusing on my hockey. There's not much I can control if people still talk about it, but I'm passed that and my teammates are past that, too.
"I'm not even thinking about it, but this is definitely not where I'd think I was going to be when you're sitting at home. I'm definitely happy with the outcome and there's a lot of stuff to do still."
When he returned to Tampa earlier this month, he admitted he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He wanted to prove to the organization and its fans that he's not a problem child, and he could be productive on the ice. At a crucial point of the season, when the team needs his talent and production, Drouin is delivering.
"Oh, yeah. I'm really comfortable," Drouin said. "I owe it to these guys making me comfortable since I came back. Every game goes on, it's getting better and better, and I'm definitely happy with the win."
Before the playoffs, Tampa coach Jon Cooper said Drouin earned his promotion and it was up to him how he would handle it. Drouin has done a solid job so far and as a result, he's playing with boatload of confidence.
"He's playing well," Cooper said. "It's been great to watch him. We needed a big goal to get us going and there he is. He's creating offense and scoring for us, but it's not just that, it's his play all over the ice. He's competing really hard. He's been around pro hockey now for a couple of years and he's a smart player. He understands the game. You have to be involved in it a little bit to find out what you can do and what you can't do. He's found out what he can do and what he can't do, and we're getting a big lift out of him."
On Saturday, he was buzzing around, making plays at both ends of the ice. His goal at 11:55 of the first period gave Tampa a 2-0 lead and eventually proved to be the winner.
"We use the word 'slippery.' He is slippery," Cooper said. "It's like when you go fishing and you grab the fish with your bare hand, and that's what he's like out there. He's hard to defend, especially when there's big defensemen in this league, that's a really hard guy to contain. When he's cycling the puck and moving down there, he is so shifty, crafty and skilled that you don't know what he's going to do.
"The other thing he can do, he just makes those six-foot passes under pressure on guys' tape, where the whole game has slowed down for him, but it's buzzing for everybody else, and that's what makes him extremely hard to defend. He just makes those plays when everything is zipping around him, he seems to make those plays under pressure."
Drouin is following the team's game plan. He's doing the things he has been asked to do. In Game 2, he finished with four shots on net. He's not afraid to go into the corners and fight for the puck. He's a different player and person than he was in January.
"I want to be more aggressive, create more stuff around the net," Drouin said. "Bringing pucks to the net definitely creates that little element to the game and I want to be more inside."
When asked if he's finally having fun on the ice again, Drouin said: "Definitely. It's great. We're having fun here as a group, too. It's definitely fun to come to the rink every day. We're enjoying it and playoffs are great."
Drouin is finally making the right choices on and off the ice. If this continues, maybe he'll remain with the Lightning and not become just another waste of talent.