Subscribe
Follow Us
Dylan Strome is staying with the Washington Capitals long-term, after signing a five-year contract extension.
Announced on Friday, Strome's deal is worth $25 million and will carry a $5 million cap hit, kicking in next season. He's currently in his first year with the Capitals and his fifth year as a full-time NHLer.
Below, we take a look at how the deal works out for the team.
Player Overview
Strome couldn't have been much of a better fit with the Capitals. After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Chicago Blackhawks, he signed a one-year deal with Washington this summer.
At just a $3.5 million cap hit, Strome has managed 11 goals and 36 points in 52 games this season. He's currently scoring at a pace of 17 goals and 57 points per 82 games.
While Strome has been a contributing forward for the Capitals, his career has been a bit of a rollercoaster thus far. A star alongside Connor McDavid in junior hockey with the OHL's Erie Otters, Strome was selected third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015. However, things didn't necessarily work out right away with the Coyotes and after not even playing a full season in the NHL, Strome was dealt to the Blackhawks in 2018, at just 21 years old.
Things changed as soon as he arrived in Chicago though, scoring 17 goals and 51 points in just 58 games through the duration of that season. Aside from a down year in 2020-21, he was a consistent producer with the Blackhawks. Over 225 games with the team across parts of four seasons, Dylan Strome scored at a pace of 22 goals and 56 points per 82 games. So it was a bit of a curious decision for the Blackhawks not to work out an extension, especially given his age.
The Term
At just 25 years old, Strome is arguably just reaching his prime. As a result, with a five-year deal, there's no worry about a decline based on age.
Another bonus to keeping Strome long-term: he can help the Capitals to build for the future. Washington is a fairly old team at this point, with the core of their group now well into their 30s. Between Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, and T.J. Oshie, the Capitals have a lot of reliance on their aging core. Washington also has very few players under contract long-term, with most players' deals coming off the books in the next couple of years.
On a five-year deal, Strome can help the team compete now, while also transitioning to the future.
The Cap Hit
Article Continues Below
The $5 million cap hit marks a pay raise for Strome, following two different contracts across three years between $3 and $3.5 million per year. At the same time, it's relatively fair value for the kind of impact we can expect him to provide.
Strome has actually produced at a really consistent rate over his five seasons as a full-time NHLer. Over the five seasons, he's scored at a pace of between 17 and 26 goals per 82 in each. Meanwhile, he's also managed a pace of between 54 and 60 points per 82 in four of the five years.
He'll continue to be used in a highly offensive role, with an offensive zone start percentage of 69 percent at even strength, according to HockeyReference.com. Strome's advanced stats look alright, with a 51.1 Corsi for percentage (ES), though maybe not as strong as you'd expect given the role he's used in.
If Dylan Strome can continue to produce at the same rate, this is going to be a win for the Capitals. Fun fact: It's also essentially the exact same deal his brother, Ryan Strome, signed this summer with the Anaheim Ducks.
No Trade Protection
Another key in the contract is that there isn't a no-trade clause or no-move clause. For the duration of the five years of the deal, there's no trade protection whatsoever.
So even if something went sideways, the Capitals at least have a possible out. On the flip side, the team may face a decline in a few years, as its core ages out. If this happens but Strome remains an impact player, they'd have the ability to move him for assets later on in the deal. With no trade protection in place, they'd have more flexibility and possible trading partners to maximize their return, if it came to this.
Strome has proven to be a great pickup for the Capitals, and this contract is another win. At just a $5 million cap hit, Strome's 50-60 points per year pace is solid production for his price tag. It's a reasonable price to have him at as Washington continues to try to make a deep postseason run. Then with the term, five years is a good length to keep Strome as the team contends, but also use him to help build for the future.
Only in his mid-20s, Dylan Strome should be a valuable piece for the Capitals for a long time.
Grade: B+
