Confirmed with Link: Washington signs Dylan Strome (1 year, $3.5M)

[twabby]

The reason this signing is so good is because the perceived value was so low while his actual on-ice value is pretty high. He's basically just as impactful as Vincent Trocheck, except 4 years younger and on a 1 x $3.5M deal instead of a 7 x $5.625M deal.

I'd have preferred JT Miller, but Kuznetsov/Strome/McMichael is miles ahead of Kuznetsov/Backstrom/Eller, provided that McMichael improves as most forwards his age do. They might not have a star 1C on the roster but they really do have the potential to have a low-end 1C in Kuznetsov and two 2Cs in Strome and McMichael. Plus a high-end 4C in Dowd. Sure beats last year!

 

[DWGie26]

Blackhawks fans are just bitter right now... as they should be. But the more i have read, it does sound like Mantha 2.0 excpet at Center. Definitley worth the 1 year contract and he'll be RFA at end of year so even then we have some value. I do think this puts Mantha on the hot seat. If we can get good value I can see him on the move. Don't even need good value for Eller as we need his spot (and cap hit). There will continue to be twists and turns.

 

[pman25]

I mean the blackhawks suck and he has been there defacto 1C more or less. Toews was hurt, Dach is a bust, so Strome carried the load. And he did okay!

A lot of the criticism is probably also because he looks funny or has a stride that makes him appear lazier than he actually is

 

[Langway]

Strome put up 19-22-41 in 48 games in CY 2022. A 70 point pace. He was playing with Kane & ADB but...not bad. If the defensive effort is lacking then shift him over to wing. The hands are pretty legit. Good touch around the net. It's not going to be nearly as wide open and rush-heavy with the Caps but the skill level is there.

I think they still really need Mantha's two-way play. Mantha & Brown centering Strome or McMichael is probably the best way to insulate a not overly physical or defensively able center.

 

[twabby]

A lot of the defensive criticism toward Strome can probably also be explained by him playing with one of the actual worst and laziest defensive players in the league in Patrick Kane,

 

[Silky mitts]

Whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV or center Kane and DeBrincat.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

LOL....great find...

 

[EroCaps]

A lot of the defensive criticism toward Strome can probably also be explained by him playing with one of the actual worst and laziest defensive players in the league in Patrick Kane,

Or maybe, just maybe, the young player on his third team is on his third team because he sucks, like the fans from those teams say?

I realize this is a homer board but people need to get f***ing real.

Why would two rebuilding franchises move on from a highly drafted young player if he had any potential?

He's filler.

And this doesn't say much for everyone's favorite CMM.

 

[Jags]

That's being overly critical. He's a chemistry add. The book on him is that he's a pretty one-dimensional scoring forward. Put him between talented wings and he'll perform for you. He's the same kind of work in progress that Burakovsky was when he left DC. Help him do that work and he has every chance to improve, and he's already a guy that can do a lot of good for your team on offense.

We have the wings to leverage his strengths, so the chemistry's right. They didn't commit hard. He's on a one-year deal and restricted. He's also the kind of center that won't get in anyone's way if our prospect centers pan out. He's not making so much money that you'll blink at bumping him down to 3C if he gets outplayed by McMike or whoever. And if we have 2 centers break or acquire another, someone will trade for him.

This was a good move. The "If we don't get the marquee guy I want then our GM sucks and we're doomed!" stuff is way overblown.

 

[twabby]

Or maybe, just maybe, the young player on his third team is on his third team because he sucks, like the fans from those teams say?

I realize this is a homer board but people need to get f***ing real.

Why would two rebuilding franchises move on from a highly drafted young player if he had any potential?

He's filler.

And this doesn't say much for everyone's favorite CMM.

Chicago is tanking! They don’t want good players! They got rid of Alex DeBrincat too!

Also please, please do not listen to what fans have to say about their players that have recently been shown the door. Hockey fans aren’t the smartest people in the world. If they knew anything, they’d be in the game.

 

[um]

I wonder if getting a guy on a one year deal was important. Perhaps the Caps expect Backstrom back next year.

 

[Corby78]

Or maybe, just maybe, the young player on his third team is on his third team because he sucks, like the fans from those teams say?

I realize this is a homer board but people need to get f***ing real.

Why would two rebuilding franchises move on from a highly drafted young player if he had any potential?

He's filler.

And this doesn't say much for everyone's favorite CMM.

I used to think your avatar was from SNL, I didn’t know it was a self portrait

 

[Rayquaza64]

I think this is a good signing, hopefully he’s here to fill in for lars eller and not cmm

 

[Devil Dancer]

From what I've read he sounds like a more shot-focused Ribeiro. Hopefully without the addiction issues.

 

[kicksavedave]

Chicago is tanking! They don’t want good players! They got rid of Alex DeBrincat too!

Also please, please do not listen to what fans have to say about their players that have recently been shown the door. Hockey fans aren’t the smartest people in the world. If they knew anything, they’d be in the game.

 

[DWGie26]

I wonder if getting a guy on a one year deal was important. Perhaps the Caps expect Backstrom back next year.

I would think so. Gives them flexibility IF Backstrom comes back. And Strome will be an RFA next offseason so we’ll have some options with him. going to take some time before there is any clear decisions on Backstrom. History isn’t on his side for sure, but I”m not counting him out and the Caps can’t either. Will have to play out of next season.

 

[HeyMattyB]

Chicago is tanking! They don’t want good players! They got rid of Alex DeBrincat too!

Also please, please do not listen to what fans have to say about their players that have recently been shown the door. Hockey fans aren’t the smartest people in the world. If they knew anything, they’d be in the game.

Well, I think plenty of Caps fans could offer informed and accurate opinions to Leafs fans regarding Samsonov.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Well, I think plenty of Caps fans could offer informed and accurate opinions to Leafs fans regarding Samsonov.

the difference is we didn’t wait until he was gone to start throwing shade. He’s been getting that from Caps fans for 2 years….so you know it’s not the typical “he’s not ours any more, so F him, he sucked anyway, etc…”

Anyway, there’s enough video on this guy to know his game is flawed and he’s a reclamation project. Good news is he should be motivated.

 

[JohnCarlsaurus]

I agree with the person who compared him to Ribeiro, they're definitely similar. Also Hawks fans' criticism of Strome sounds just like Wings fans' criticism of Mantha. They weren't totally wrong but he wasn't as bad as they were implying

 

[Melkor]

From what I've read he sounds like a more shot-focused Ribeiro. Hopefully without the addiction issues.

Exactly my thought. And If I'm not mistaken, they signed him on exactly the same contract as Ribeiro. Ribeiro was more talented as a playmaker obviously but point still stands.

 

[HTFN]

From what I've read he sounds like a more shot-focused Ribeiro. Hopefully without the addiction issues.

That’s about how I feel too. Maybe not 1:1 stylistically but in terms of where you can deploy him and what to expect on each end of the ice? Yeah, I’m fine with that.

 

[Roshi]

Only thing they share with Ribeiro is that they both can play 2C.

Ribeiro was 32 when he came here and well known for his lack of interest to put any kind of effort for his hockey stuff and the high interest he put for partying, and well known ah. When Caps signed him we already knew what we are getting. We signed him out of desparation to find the 2C. Strome is a 25 y young player who havent still quite figured it out. Theres room to grow and hopefully he will carry a chip on his shoulder. We signed him for the aspiration of getting a good piece for free.

Even though Ribeiro had some critical issues off ice, both Habs and Stars gave him every chance in the world for how crazy talented he was. Had he put the work behind it we would be speaking about hhoffer and a guy who would had multiple 100pt seasons. Strome got his chances aswell, but fell out of favour under circumstances.

Strome isnt nearly as talented (though he is obviously talented) but also not nearly as difficult (though there are some concerns). He has been part of two not so good teams and performed unevenly, but the potential is still there. Im suprised Hawks let him go for nothing just to sign someone like Domi instead. Basically the same guy but without the upside.

Im not a huge fan of his game so far, but i like the signing as there is lots of potential. Low risk high reward.

 

[ClevelandCapsfan]

Per Chicago Sun-Times.

Dylan Strome, never fully appreciated with Blackhawks, excited for ‘new opportunity’ with Capitals

Despite receiving a one-year contract worth $3.5 million from Washington, the great Strome mystery — ‘Why do NHL teams not value him as much as they should?’ — nonetheless remains.

chicago.suntimes.com

Certainly in Chicago, Strome never found the stability his production seemed to justify.

His relationship with ex-coach Jeremy Colliton fell apart last fall, and although he thrived the second half of the season under Derek King, the interim coach was still harder on him than he was on others. Ex-general manager Stan Bowman and new GM Kyle Davidson both tried in vain for more than a year to trade Strome, yet never received much interest from other teams.



Part of the constant Strome under-appreciation from Hawks management stemmed from internal analytics that indicated Strome performed poorly against higher-level competition, per sources. But that never fully explained the situation.

“I felt like I played my way into getting a qualifying offer,” Strome said. “But with the way the Blackhawks are trending and what they’re looking to do in the next coming years, I’m not going to say I was surprised by their decision.”

It’s all water under the bridge now, though, and Strome has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his fresh start in D.C.

Strome will battle Lars Eller for the Capitals’ second-line center spot (beneath Evgeny Kuznetsov) this coming season, but with Eller aged 33 and a pending unrestricted free agent next summer, Strome is favored to win that battle long-term. He’ll be an RFA again next summer.




With wingers Wilson, Alex Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie, Anthony Mantha, Connor Brown (acquired from the Senators this summer) and Nicklas Backstrom (when healthy again) all on the Capitals’ roster, Strome will not lack quality linemates.

There’s also the odd coincidence that every Capitals summer addition is a former teammate of his. Henrik Borgstrom and Erik Gustafsson came from the Hawks, Brown played with Strome on the OHL’s Erie Otters in 2013-14 and new goalie Darcy Kuemper played with Strome on the Coyotes in 2017-18.

And hopefully for his sake, Strome’s Capitals tenure will prove far steadier — and far more valued by coaches and management — than his Hawks tenure did.

“I’m excited to join...a team that’s in the playoffs pretty much every year,” he said. “To have that new opportunity and new challenge, it’s something that every player looks forward to. It gives me a real drive for the summer to be at my best going into the season and show them they made a good choice in signing me.”