A very unhappy-looking Jonathan Drouin walked out of Amalie Arena Saturday morning, carrying his equipment.
Drouin said he's heading for AHL Syracuse, no doubt for a conditioning assignment, but it won't make it easier to swallow.
With Ondrej Palat back, the Lightning had 14 healthy forwards, making for a glut up front. And while Jonathan Marchessault requires waivers to get sent to AHL, Drouin doesn't. Drouin returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing seven games with a lower-body injury, a minus-2 in just 10:51 of ice time.
Drouin, the No. 3 overall pick in 2013, has had an admittedly long year, missing 19 games due to two separate injuries.