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The race for NHL rookie of the year just got more interesting. Now, this is precisely the type of hype the Tampa Bay Lightning will be trying to avoid at all costs for a 19-year-old who has yet to play a single regular season game in the NHL. But then thats the kind of the point here: Jonathan Drouin is finally going to make his highly-anticipated NHL debut this week. Probably not tonight in Edmonton, though. After breaking his thumb before training camp even started, Drouin played his first two professional games – scored his first pro goal on a beauty snipe Friday night and added two assists and seven shots on goal Saturday night – on a briefer than expected conditioning stint with Syracuse of the American Hockey League. Tampa recalled him yesterday and Drouin flew to Edmonton to join the 3-1-1 Lightning. Playing back to back games on Friday and Saturday, travelling all day Sunday and dealing with jet lag is not the optimum circumstance to have the third overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft make his NHL debut, never mind that Tampa is coming off a win in Vancouver and none of the forwards have done anything to warrant being yanked from the lineup for a 19-year-old, albeit one with star power potential. So Tuesday in Calgary is a much better bet than tonight in Edmonton to get our first look at the precocious offensive talent, who, to borrow Bobby Ryans catchphrase, isnt so much coming in hot as he is coming in angry. Thats angry in a good way. Anyone who knows Jo knows that the somewhat undersized (5-foot-11, 186 pounds) offensive whiz kid from the Halifax Mooseheads uses any slight, real or imagined, as his fuel. And his tank is full. Overflowing. There wasnt a day that went by last season when Drouin didnt look longingly at the NHL and his draft class playing pro while he was back with the kids in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. No. 1 overall pick and Drouins Halifax linemate Nate MacKinnon tore it up in Colorado, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of year. No. 2 overall pick Aleksander Barkov spent the full season in Florida, as did No. 4 pick Seth Jones in Nashville, No. 5 pick Elias Lindholm in Carolina and No. 6 pick Sean Monahan in Calgary. Drouin was the only one of the top six picks in his draft to not play last season in the NHL. Tampa decided early in training camp a year ago that Drouin wasnt physically mature enough to put right into the lineup, that he needed to get fitter and faster and stronger. So Drouin played angry last season, channeling it into 29 goals and 108 points for the Mooseheads. He trained angry all summer, getting leaner and meaner and fitter and faster. His broken thumb before training camp only ratcheted up his anger at having to wait even longer to make his NHL debut. And even though the Lightnings handling of him on the AHL conditioning stint was textbook and clearly in the players best interests – he had no training camp at all; the team knows expectations will be sky high when he does play that first NHL game and they wanted to give him every chance to be successful – dont kid yourself, that one goal and two assists in two AHL games was the product of an angry young man who believes hes never been more ready to go than now. Right now. Its going to be fascinating to watch Drouin play for the Lightning, simply because he has elite level vision and puck skills that set him apart from, well, just about everybody. He wont like to hear it, but hes also a 19-year-old kid whos a lot better with the puck than without it and the challenge for any underage junior, and his team, is to find a way to embrace (offensive) assets while minimizing (defensive) deficiencies. The fact the Lightning are a very good NHL team, with the look of a contender in the Eastern Conference, will require even more finesse in their handling of Drouin. Who comes out of the lineup for Drouin? Does he have to play in the top six? Or can he brought along more slowly on the third or fourth line? One suspects it will more likely be the latter. Steven Stamkos is on fire and playing well with Ryan Callahan and Ondrej Palat on the top line. Valtteri Filpulla is between Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson on the second line. The third and fourth lines are more or less interchangeable, depending upon circumstances: Brian Boyle between Brenden Morrow and Brett Connolly; and, rookie Vladislav Namestnikov between Nikita Kucherov and J.T. Brown. The Lightning have to find a spot for Drouin somewhere, sometime. Whenever and wherever it is, theres an angry young man awaiting his opportunity. Angry in the best way imaginable. The Rookie Race Drouin hasnt missed so many games that, if all were to go well for him, he couldnt play himself into a still wide-open rookie race. The early favorite, though, has to be Tanner Pearson of the Los Angeles Kings. Pearson played 25 regular-season games last year. If he had played just one more (26), he wouldnt be considered a rookie. It doesnt matter that he played 24 more in the playoffs en route to the Kings Stanley Cup victory. Pearson, playing on That 70s Line with Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Carter, is off to a great start. That line has been carrying the Kings so this season. Pearson has five goals and seven points in six games, leading all rookies in goals and points. Pearson is a 22-year-old, third-year pro who is bound to get more quality minutes on an elite team and, therefore, should continue to put up points. Two rookie defenceman – Aaron Ekblad in Florida and Damon Severson in New Jersey – have also turned heads in the early going. Ekblad, of course, was the first overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft. The 18-year-old – he doesnt turn 19 until Feb. 7 – has only one assist in five games but what hes doing as a pure rookie blueliner is nothing short of extraordinary. Hes averaging 22:16 over five games and played 25:25 in his last outing, a 2-1 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals. The last game he played was the best game hes played, Florida coach Gerard Gallant said. I keep forgetting hes an 18-year-old rookie. The funny thing is Ekblad started slow. In the Panthers rookie camp, he didnt look good in his first game, was just okay in his second but played well in his third. That was ROOKIE camp. In the Panthers main camp, it was the same thing – struggled early, got better as it progressed. But almost from the drop of the puck for the regular season, Ekblad has played with poise, maturity and confidence that belies his age and inexperience, playing alongside veteran defenceman Brian Campbell. Im sure he will have some ups and downs, every young defenceman does, Gallant added, but its amazing how comfortable he is just playing his game. Its like hes still in junior. Hes not worried. He just plays. Hes not afraid to jump up (offensively) and hes defended quite well. Hes not nervous or unsure of himself. TSN analytics expert Travis Yost offered this assessment of Ekblads numbers this season: Aaron Ekblad is still searching for the first five-on-five point of his career, but there are plenty of positives to take away from his first five games. Ekblad, playing almost exclusively with puck-possession wizard Brian Campbell, has enjoyed a 58.3 per cent Corsi% and +10.6 per cent RelativeCorsi%. While its clear Florida isnt easing Ekblad into action (hes close to 16 minutes per night at even strength), its worth noting hes being deployed in a more offence-oriented role – likely due to Campbells puck-moving ability. The Ekblad-Campbell pairing is the only one on Florida starting more than 50 per cent of their shifts in the offensive zone. If this sort of deployment continues, expect Ekblads point-scoring to wake up relatively quickly. Softer minutes and great underlying numbers generally lead to success – Ekblads simply been victimized by terrible on-ice shooting percentages (4.4 per cent) in the early going. As we know, these numbers frequently regress to league averages. For those who dont subscribe to #fancystats, Ekblad most certainly passes the eye test, too. To think hes been as cool, calm and composed as he has been, as an 18-year-old defenceman, is nothing short of extraordinary. Meanwhile, New Jersey defenceman Damon Severson has been an early-season revelation. Another in the long line from the Kelowna Rocket defenceman factory (Scott Hannan, Josh Gorges, Duncan Keith, Luke Schenn, Sheldon Souray, Shea Weber, Kyle Cumiskey, Tyler Myers, Tyson Barrie, to name a few), Severson has put up flashy numbers – three goals, four points and plus-six in five games – while averaging almost 20 minutes per night alongside veteran partner Andy Greene on New Jerseys shutdown pair. New Jersey head coach Pete DeBoer was quite taken with Severson early in training camp and hes continued to earn the coachs confidence. You always want to temper your enthusiasm for young defencemen because you dont want to put unrealistic expectations on them, DeBoer said, but (Severson) has started well. Greene plays the tough minutes on the Devils blueline, facing Alexander Ovechkin and Joe Thornton in consecutive shutdown games. Severson has held up well as Greenes partner. Seversons composure has been notable as has his ability to read the play, both defensively and offensively. Heres Yosts analytic take on Seversons season: Seversons possession numbers are eerily similar to Ekblads. Through five games at just under 16 even-strength minutes a night, Severson is a 58.6 per cent Corsi% player with an impressive +14.4% RelativeCorsi%. That RelativeCorsi% number is actually ninth-best in the entire league amongst regular defencemen, with only established NHLers – notably Ryan Ellis (+19.6 per cent), Mark Giordano (+18.2 per cent), and Niklas Hjalmarsson (+15.8 per cent) – ahead of him. Perhaps the most impressive part is Severson (along with partner Greene) has been getting brutalized in the zone-start department, seeing just 33 per cent offensive zone starts. Its not as if Severson came out of nowhere – he was a 2012 second-round pick, 60th overall – who was one of the WHLs top defenceman last season. But he didnt make Canadas national junior team and, in general manager Lou Lamoriellos world, young Devils often need to serve an AHL apprenticeship in their first professional season. For now, Severson has avoided the trip to the minors. But the season, like the rookie defencemen who have excelled in the early going, is still young. NOTES: Tampa defenceman Victor Hedman is likely to be out of the Bolts lineup for at least four weeks with a broken bone in his hand. He suffered it Saturday, blocking a shot against Vancouver. Usual timeline is a four-to-six week injury…Calgary officially announced T.J. Brodies contract extension today. Its five years with an AAV of $4.65 million. Custom Dallas Stars Jerseys . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing. Craig Hartsburg Jersey . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Duck Calling With several marquee centres available via trade and expected to be available via free agency, the Anaheim Ducks could be primed to be big players in the coming days. http://www.authenticstarspro.com/Jamie-benn-stars-jersey/ . Bookies were offering odds of 13/1 before kickoff that the home team Houston Dynamo would prevail by three goals to nil. Jon Casey Jersey . Now, the hottest team on the ATP are pointing their sights on qualifying for the eight-team season finals in London next November. Pospisil has now established the year-end World Tour Finals as the benchmark for a breakthrough season, with Pospisil and Sock provisionally standing ninth. Brian Bellows Jersey . Berkman almost left the game last off-season before signing with the Texas Rangers. He then had another injury-plagued season and was limited to 73 games.SURREY, B.C. -- Angus Reids season -- and career -- continued to hang in limbo Tuesday. The veteran B.C. centre will miss his 10th straight game Saturday due to a back injury as the Lions visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the second game of a home-and-home series. Reid, a 36-year-old Richmond, B.C., native who has yet to snap the ball in his 13th CFL season, is scheduled to come off the nine-game injured list. But he expects to go back on it, pending a decision that coach Mike Benevides and general manager Wally Buono have yet to make. "Im not ready to play right now," said Reid after limited participation in a practice. "Itll still take some time. I dont know how long thats going to be." Reids injury among a number of health issues that the Lions (6-3) are dealing with as they attempt to post their second straight win over the Ticats (4-5) in their temporary home of Guelph, Ont. Middle linebacker Solomon Elimimian (thigh) and defensive back Ryan Phillips (groin) are questionable after getting hurt in B.C.s 29-26 victory last Friday. "(A return to the nine-game injured list is) probable, because they could still take me off later (before nine games are up), so I think it might just be a better scenario to do that than to go week to week without any knowledge of how long that might be," said Reid. He said the injury, which has raised questions about whether he will be able to continue his career, will likely require surgery after the season. "Ideally, Id like to be (playing) football," he said. "I want the pain alleviated. ... For now, Im doing everything I can to make sure I can play if Im needed and be able to put up with whatever pain there is without doing any more harm. It, hopefully, does get better, but so far it hasnt on its own." Reid has three herniated discs in his lower back, and one is pressing against the sciatic nerve. "Im trying to get it off, because it doesnt allow a lot of movement without pain. ... Im trying my best, every treatment I can to alleviate some of the pain so if need be, if I need to play, I can get it done," he said. "Its not a great scenario, but were working at it." Reid donned his full pads with his teammates Tuesday, but could only participate in limited activity. Still, it was more than he has done in quite some time. He was sidelined early in training camp when years of bending over backward for his team caught up to him. "Im doing all the drills again," said Reid, who has stayed home from road trips. "I did a lot of scout team work (Monday). I didnt do much (Tuesday) with the pads, just because I want to ease into the pounding and want to make sure I can handle it. I dont want to regress." Quarterback Travis Lulay said Reid has still played an important role in the teams progress this season by contributing in team meetings and teaching sessions with other offennsive linemen.dddddddddddd Reid has put on "a brave face" in light of his own ordeal while attempting to help the team succeed. "Hes still a very respected voice in the locker-room," said Lulay. "Im sure he has his struggles, but he does a good job when hes around the team." Lulay also praised second-year pro Matt Norman, whose transition to centre from guard, planned for Reids anticipated retirement a few years from now, was accelerated by the veteran snappers injury. "(Norman) is getting better every single week," said Lulay. "The more looks he sees, the more different scenarios come up in a game, the better he gets. Hes a smart guy. Youre always looking for a guy who doesnt make the same mistake twice, and hes pretty good about that. Hes pretty good about fixing his mistakes and moving along." Benevides said he still does not know what decision he will make regarding Reid, but was encouraged by his work with the scout team a day earlier. Meanwhile, the coach listed both Elimimian and Phillips as day to day. Elimimian was sidelined in the first half Friday while playing on special teams, but hopes to play Saturday. "Its making progress," said Elimimian. "Im feeling better day to day." Pending Elimimians availability, linebacker Yaser Elqutub, a 25-year-old Katy, Tex., native out of Northwestern State, has a chance to make his CFL debut. Elqutub has been on the practice roster since signing with the Lions on July 1. "Hes been here for a while, hes been preparing and hes been good," said Benevides. "Now, well see if we have to activate him or not." Phillips was hurt in the second quarter against Hamilton, as he tried to get going on coverage of a receiver on a deep route. But he was able to complete the game, and took part in limited drills in practice. "Its getting better," said Phillips. "Im still a little sore and things like that. I didnt try to do anything too much (Tuesday) , to try to pull it or try to run full speed or anything like that." While the defence adapts to possible personnel changes and efforts to prevent Hamilton from staging another late rally, Lulay expects both clubs to throw some wrinkles into their offences. He passed for more than 300 yards for the first time this season Friday, but the B.C. running game still needs to get untracked. Tailback Andrew Harris was held under 100 yards for the third straight game -- and he has yet to gain more than 50 in the past two. "Its been a struggle the last couple games," said Harris. "Obviously, teams are keying on me a little bit more now, and its making things difficult. But in the same vent, we need to be more productive." Note: B.C. linebacker Anton McKenzie is slated to play with a cast on his right thumb for the second straight game after undergoing minor surgery last week. 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