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TAMPA BAY, Fla. — It was never a question of talent. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman knew from the very first moment he laid eyes on him that Jonathan Drouin had plenty of that.

But it takes more than just the skill to move and shoot the puck and score to become an all-around NHL player and the Lightning wanted to see that as well from Drouin.

They saw it during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Islanders and it seems to have drastically altered the couple’s relationship.

Now seven months removed from the day when Drouin filed for divorce, first by asking for a trade and then by staging a sit-down strike after being demoted to the minor leagues, Yzerman and the Lightning are all-in on Drouin and Drouin is all-in on the Lightning.

And it was all sparked by one moment that came during the first period of Game 3 against the Islanders.

“Yeah, I just go back to that Islander game where he got hit (with his head down while coming across the ice by Thomas Hickey), and he got up, got to the bench and then went to the locker room,’’ Yzerman said.

“But then he came back (a period later) and played again and finished the game, and you know there are not a lot of guys that would do that. I just think that showed me more than anything what he’s about.

“The skill and all that, he makes us a better team. It’s as simple as that. He makes us a better team. He can do some things. He’s a talented young player that’s only going to get better.’’

There’s no doubt Drouin made the Lighting better during the playoffs. With captain Steven Stamkos sidelined, Drouin filled an offensive void, producing five goals, including a game winner, and 14 points, third most on the team.

But there was more to Drouin’s game than just goals and points. He made his presence known on virtually every shift, not only with his speed and skill, but with that tenacity that Yzerman and the Lightning hadn’t been sure was there.

When the playoffs ended on Thursday following Tampa Bay’s 2-1 loss to the Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, Drouin had recorded 39 hits. Only grinders such as Ryan Callahan, Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn and Brian Boyle had more.

Oh, and the exact moment the playoffs ended for the Lightning, Drouin was on the ice, one of the six skaters they had out in the final minute in their effort to stay alive.

That may say more about how far Drouin has come in the eyes of his bosses than anything.

“He’s a kid who had to dip his toes in the league a little bit and navigate his way and learn the players, the speed of the game, how physical it can be and what you can and can’t do,’’ Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

“I mean, you get in the league for a couple of games and you have a surge of success, but ultimately it’s a grind and you have to deal with the grind every single day and he’s done a good job of that.’’

Good but not good enough. Those are Drouin’s words, spoken Friday as he packed up his gear for the summer inside the Lightning locker room at Amalie Arena, where he expressed a great deal of humility, saying he still doesn’t see himself as part of the team’s young core.

“I still have a lot of stuff to prove, a lot that I still need to do,’’ he said. “But hopefully I can work my way up the ladder with my play. I mean, I want to be a part of those last-minute plays and that stuff and Coop gave me a chance with that (in Game 7) and that was nice.

“And you know, everybody here has been great. When all that stuff happened, the guys never stopped reaching out to me so it feels like I never left a little bit, but I’m definitely happy to be back and feeling that love stuff that we had at the beginning of the year.

“So yeah, I definitely want to be here. I love the way this ended. It was a weird and kind of different year for sure, but this finish was good and this is definitely where I want to play. I mean, it’s definitely not the way you want to do it, but the results were good.’’

From break up to make up: How the Lightning & Drouin found love again