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Bob McKenzie was on Toronto’s TSN 1050 on Wednesday morning.

As part of a larger discussion on Jonathan Drouin, and on the biggest reason why he wasn’t traded before the deadline:

“There’s two reasons.

“The No. 1 reason is that Steve Yzerman didn’t feel like whatever he was going to get at the deadline was going to help the team enough short-term that there wasn’t going to be a benefit to rushing into trading him at the deadline. Because what a lot of teams were trying to do was load up future considerations – other prospects or draft picks – that wouldn’t help the Lightning now.

“And Steve Yzerman thought, ‘Well, if I’m going to make a future consideration deal, and I’m not getting anything that’s going to significantly bolster my hockey team for the stretch drive and the playoffs, I might as well do this deal at the draft. There’s no extra advantage for me to trade him right now.’

“And I think the second reason – I think deep, deep down, Steve Yzerman knew that Jonathan Drouin is capable of doing some of the things that he’s doing now.

“And I think as exciting and dynamic as his game has been, I’m pretty confident in having watched him play junior hockey and seen him all along here – there’s still another level here, in terms of consistency. I mean, he’s not a Hart Trophy winner right now. But he’s definitely got a chance to be an offensive superstar in the National Hockey League. I think Steve Yzerman deep down knew that, and he knew that whatever he was going to get in trade for Jonathan Drouin might not make up for what Drouin would do somewhere else. And I think there was a hesitancy on his part to try and wait and see where this thing goes longer term.

“Obviously all of that will come out in the wash over the summer, but right now they’re focused on trying to win the series with the Wings. And they’re trying to go deep enough into the playoffs to get Stamkos and Stralman back in the lineup.”

Source: TSN 1050/ Transcript: Nichols