Drouin rumors heating up with Blues, Ducks, Predators reportedly the contenders

A Jonathan Drouin trade could be imminent. Or not.

Much has been speculated about the future of the Tampa Bay Lightning forward over the past 12 hours. TVA's Renaud Lavoie reported Thursday night that a trade for Drouin could happen in the next 24 hours, though he backed off that Friday morning.

Also on Friday morning, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford reported that the Blues' "talks with Tampa Bay have been speculated for weeks and appear focused on Drouin."

That brought in the heavy hitters. TSN's Bob McKenzie said on radio Friday that he doesn't "have any concrete knowledge that the Drouin deal is imminent with St. Louis."

"I still believe the Blues really want Drouin and will try to do a lot to try to get him," McKenzie added.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, speaking on the Fan590 on Friday morning, said a trade for Drouin in the short term is possible, but added:

I don't like to say for sure. (Lightning general manager Steve) Yzerman is notoriously tight lipped about things ... I think there are some GMs that don't like to leak a lot on Yzerman because they're worried about the wrath of God coming down from him. He's very protective of information. Like, way to go for Renaud for hedging his bets on that one a little bit, but, I do think it's a possibility but I don't know if I'm married to it.

Friedman also noted that Nashville Predators general manager David Poile "admitted he's in on Drouin," and that the "other team that's really in on Drouin, among them, is (the) Anaheim (Ducks)."

In other words, stay tuned.