A secured future has Strome playing his best hockey originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON — Dylan Strome knows what it feels like to not be wanted.
Strome, the No. 3 overall pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during his third NHL season after just 47 total games with the Coyotes. After four years with the Blackhawks, including a career-high 22 goals in 2021-22, Strome was non-tendered this past offseason, making him a free agent. The 26-year-old inked a one-year ‘prove-it’ deal with the Capitals this past July, eager to establish himself as a top-six forward at the NHL level.
Strome has done that, and then some, in his first season with the Capitals. He’s already set a career-high in points and after scoring on Saturday night against Florida, the Mississauga native is one goal away from tying his career-high in goals, too. In February, the Capitals inked Strome to a five-year extension, a big, yet earned, commitment to the center.
Speaking with reporters following Saturday’s loss to Florida, Strome admitted that having his long-term future secure in Washington has allowed him to clear his mind and solely focus on hockey, which in turn has led to consistent production.
“I think sometimes when you don’t have that burden of ‘what contract is coming next’ or things like that, it makes it a little bit easier to just go play hockey and not worry about other things that you can’t control,” Strome said. “I think once that happened, you kind of just settle into your comfort zone and know you’re going to be here for a while. I feel like I’m getting a good opportunity to play and try to produce.”
Strome has recorded 25 points in 26 games since signing his extension and is currently on his second three-game goal streak of the season. He’s scored the first goal in each of Washington’s last three games, too.
“He’s been the guy for me that’s consistently producing,” Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette said. “Even though we haven’t been finding the ways that we want to be successful, at the end of the night he’s still finding a way to produce.”
Firmly entrenched as Washington’s top-line center, Strome has been able to contribute both as a goal scorer and as a playmaker, something that’s left a strong impression on his coach as well.
“[His production] is coming in different ways,” Laviolette said. “It’s coming from his shot. It’s coming from his playmaking ability. He’s been a guy that’s…