Projecting Jonathan Drouin's next contract

The next stage in Jonathan Drouin's saga with the Tampa Bay Lightning will involve putting pen to paper.

The 21-year-old is in the midst of his best season yet, making his upcoming contract negotiations all the more intriguing, as he's due for restricted free agency.

Here are some factors to consider:

His resume

After Drouin put up an unfathomable 242 points in 128 games for the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, Tampa Bay selected the shifty playmaker third overall in the 2013 draft.

However, his transition to the NHL has been rocky, at best.

Drouin amassed just 32 points in 70 games as a rookie, before demanding a trade during the 2015-16 season following an AHL demotion. Things got messy, as Drouin walked away from Tampa's farm team, causing a stalemate between him and general manager Steve Yzerman.

That seems like a long time ago, though, as Drouin began to prove his worth last postseason, looking rejuvenated in recording 14 points across 17 playoff contests with Tampa.

His confidence has continued into this season, with 29 points in 38 game, and 22 in his last 20.

Drouin's value is growing as we speak.

Some comparables

With bridge deals becoming less and less frequent in today's NHL, it's plausible to believe Yzerman will look into a long-term contract right away, rather than prolonging the process and dealing with the same situation a few years down the road.

Here are some recent examples of forwards who've signed extensions coming off their entry-level contracts.

Through 127 career games, Drouin's notched 71 points (0.55 p/pg), but his pure skill and upside could outweigh all the players listed above, complicating matters going forward.

Tampa's situation

This is where it gets interesting.

Much like last season, Yzerman will have his hands full in maneuvering Tampa's roster without breaching the salary cap.

Yzerman managed to walk away from his first crucial wave of roster decisions with a gold star - retaining Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman at a discount - but several other crucial determinations loom following this season.

Along with Drouin, core forwards Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat are slated for restricted free agency, and due for a raise.

For the time being, the Lightning are pressed right up against the cap ceiling, but some pressure will be alleviated with netminder Ben Bishop - and his $5.9-million cap hit - coming off the books via trade or expansion draft. Elsewhere, Brian Boyle ($2M AAV) could be forced to find other suitors as Tampa's only other pending UFA.

Yzerman has been adamant about testing the "quiet" NHL trade market, and any sort of deal involving a salary dump could make sense for a Lightning team unexpectedly outside the playoff bubble.

A potential offer sheet to Drouin, however, would throw a giant wrench into Yzerman's plans. While offer sheets have gone the way of the bridge deal lately, what team with salary cap space wouldn't want to dangle money in front of a young, supremely talented forward? It's purely hypothetical, but it's allowed, and it sure would make things interesting.

The deal

So, what's it gonna be?

Feasibly, based on the market of similar players and Drouin's prospering value, a five-to-seven year deal could be realistic, and likely closer to $5M than $6M in AAV.

Yzerman knows Drouin is key to the Lightning's success. It's why he never wanted to trade him, and it's why he's watching his development closely. The GM will do his best to make it work.

With half a season to play and plenty of unpredictable variables surrounding the rest of Tampa Bay's roster, pinpointing exact numbers becomes difficult, but considering Drouin's tumultuous past and promising future, it will be fascinating to monitor how it plays out.