The Colorado Avalanche made their fame based on a player’s refusing to play for his draft team. In 1991, the Quebec Nordiques drafted Eric Lindros first overall. Lindros refused to play for the team, and the resultant trade went heavily in the franchise’s favor. Besides the immediate return of getting Peter Forsberg, the prospects and draft picks still resound in the NHL today. Indeed, in some convoluted way, defenseman Brandon Gormley is the last vestige of the trade for Colorado.
The situation with Jonathan Drouin is different. He didn’t refuse out of the gate to play for his draft team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.