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NHL confirms year of Drouin's contract burned after Lightning suspension

Scott Audette / National Hockey League / Getty

A full year of Jonathan Drouin's entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning will be burned even if he remains on the sidelines for the remainder of the season, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

The Lightning may have been looking to toll the contract, meaning push it back a year in light of the circumstances, but that's not possible, says Daly.

"We haven’t previously had a practice of allowing clubs to toll partial season breaches," Daly told Johnston on Thursday in an email. "Had this been the last season of the contract, however, we may have entertained an argument for ‎some form of remedy or relief in this situation."

What this means is that any team that trades for Drouin will add him to the roster with one year left on the cap-friendly rookie deal.

The 20-year-old is currently suspended without pay after walking out on the AHL's Syracuse Crunch while awaiting a trade.

General manager Steve Yzerman maintains the door is open if Drouin wants to return to the organization for the balance of the season.

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