The battle of who will blink first continues.

For the past six weeks, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jonathan Drouin has stubbornly sat out after walking out on his assignment to play in the American Hockey League. But he seems to have met his match in general manager Steve Yzerman, who has refused to grant the disgruntled winger’s trade request, which was issued the day he left the Syracuse Crunch.

Monday was the last day for trades during this NHL season, and the last day for Drouin to be granted his leave from the Lightning until the offseason. Yzerman did not deal the 20-year-old, who is now stuck in his self-imposed limbo.

Call it an opportunity lost for both the player and the team. And so now the question is where do the two sides go from here?

Will Drouin continue to jeopardize his development and already tainted reputation by sitting out for another six weeks? Or will he tuck his tail between his legs and try to mend a fractured relationship by returning to the AHL?

Is that even a possibility anymore?

Drouin’s agent on Monday declined to discuss the situation when approached for comment by Postmedia.

A source close to the situation, however, said there is “no way” Drouin goes back to Tampa Bay “under any circumstances.”

Meanwhile, Yzerman told reporters in Florida that if Drouin “wants to come back and play, the door’s open.”

According to former NHL goaltender Corey Hirsch, who went through a similar situation with the New York Rangers as a 21-year-old, Drouin would be wise to change his mind and take the offer.

If not, that door could become permanently shut before he knows it.

“He could have played 10 more games in the minors and might have been back in the lineup with Tampa right now and possibly on his way to winning a Stanley Cup,” Hirsch said. “He’s taking a big risk. The same people you see on way up are the same people you see on the way down.”

After winning a silver medal for Canada at the 1994 Olympics, Hirsch initially refused a minor-league assignment and instead tried to force the New York Rangers to trade him. He was suspended for 10 days. Hirsch eventually gave in, but said his reputation around the league was never the same.

“I realized it was serious when I was sitting in my agent’s office and he was on the phone with Neil Smith (then the Rangers GM) and the F-bombs started flying,” Hirsh said. “I was like, ‘Oh crap, what have I done?’ So I put my tail between my legs and went back down, which was the right decision.

“But it was too late. I looked like a problem child. You work so hard to build a reputation and one thing can tear it all down.”

Neither side wins in this situation. Not Drouin, who should be playing meaningful hockey at this stage of his career. And certainly not the Lightning, who not only do not have Drouin’s services but also failed to land a player in a trade that could have helped the team anxious to return to the Stanley Cup final.

“If the team is not playing well, you have bigger concerns,” said Yzerman, who added that he was only offered prospects or picks that would not help the team this season. “At this time my feeling was if it’s not going to help me now and it’s not absolutely something that I can’t say no to, I’m better off keeping my options open this summer.”

Drouin, who had two goals and eight points in 19 NHL games this season and carries a salary cap hit of $894,166 this season and next, has been skating on his own and with a college team in Montreal. But according to Yzerman, some teams were concerned by the fact that Drouin had gone so long without playing. He played seven games with Syracuse before leaving the team on

That is likely not the only concern.

Drouin is a talented prospect who could one day become an high-end offensive player in the league, but his career is off to an ugly start. Part of it is injuries. But the other part is his unwillingness to bide his time in the minors and wait for a roster opening on a team that is deep at forward.

Drouin believes he belongs in the NHL and believes he could be the kind of player that Nathan MacKinnon, Sean Monahan and others from his draft class have become. And he believes the only thing standing in his way is a coach, Jon Cooper, who does not want to play him.

Drouin had hoped to sidestep this obstacle by forcing a trade in January. At one point it looked like he might get his wish. When it did not happen, Drouin reportedly had enough and refused to play in the minors anymore. He was immediately suspended. From then on, he and Yzerman have been locked in a staring contest.

Who will blink first could take some time. Meanwhile, neither side is winning.

“I’m not enjoying this situation,” Yzerman told reporters. “It’s certainly not how I wanted to play out … I’m not purposely dragging this out for anyone. I’m trying to do the right thing for the team and when the right thing comes along, I will do that.”