Michel Therrien had a lot to say about Jonathan Drouin and not for the right reasons

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Julien Trekker
March 29, 2023 (2:51 PM)

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A comment from Michel Therrien regarding Montreal Canadiens' number 27, Jonathan Drouin, has gone somewhat unnoticed, and it's fair to say that the former coach's words were not very flattering.

During the intermission of a recent game between the Canadiens and the Lightning on TVA Sports, Therrien took the opportunity to discuss the famous trade that took place in the summer of 2017 between the two teams. According to him, the Lightning clearly won the transaction.

"It's easy to say now, but we must not forget that the trade was good for both teams at the time. Drouin was a third overall pick in the draft and had an exceptional playoff performance. He showed a lot of potential."

"In Sergachev's case, the Canadiens knew he was a good defenseman and would eventually play on the top two pairs," he continued. "He even started the season in Montreal to learn what the NHL is like to help his development. But it's clear that the Lightning won this trade hands down.

Since then, we haven't seen any progress from Drouin. On the contrary, he has regressed significantly."

These are harsh comments.

Admittedly, it doesn't take a Ph.D. to see that this trade is making the Canadiens look bad right now. But when Marc Bergevin acquired Drouin, many experts agreed that the organization had landed a potential future NHL star. Therrien shared this opinion.

"At the time, everyone saw him as a future star, but unfortunately, it didn't turn out positively for the Canadiens.»

Nearly six years later, Mikhail Sergachev is one of the pillars of the Lightning's defense, enjoying the best season of his career with 55 points in 72 games, 10 points more than Victor Hedman!

As for Drouin, he will be a free agent during the offseason, and unless there's a major surprise, his association with the Canadiens will end after this season.

If Marc Bergevin made several good moves during his tenure as general manager, it's safe to say that this trade is probably the worst one he's made.

Credits: TVA Sports

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