Arizona Coyotes: Dylan Strome Eyes Roster Spot
Arizona Coyotes first round pick Dylan Strome made it to the final cut before being told to pack his bags for Erie last season. Strome is back at development camp a year later with his eyes on the prize.
After the Arizona Coyotes selected Dylan Strome with the 3rd overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, there were some questions.
Can Strome reach the level that his fellow draftees, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, are predicted to reach? Is it possible that Strome could make the roster out of training camp and make an immediate impact?
The results regarding the first question are up in the air, but the second one was answered last fall.
The answer was no.
Strome made it to the final round of cuts in Glendale before being sent back to the OHL and the Erie Otters.
The team didn’t feel Strome had the frame to churn through an 82-game season and felt it showed by the end of camp. “I thought he hit the wall,” said General Manager John Chayka.
Strome returned to juniors and put up gaudy numbers once again while acting as captain of the Otters, tallying 37 goals and 74 assists for 111 points.
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Now he’s back at Gila River Arena attempting to earn his way onto an Arizona Coyotes team that, to be frank, could desperately use some offensive spark and creativity up the middle. One could assume that Chayka and Head Coach Dave Tippett feel the same.
If Dylan Strome is able to power through and make the team out of camp as many expect, it would greatly help the franchise in their pursuit of it’s first playoff berth since 2011-12.
The 19-year-old has put on another 10 pounds since the long look at training camp last fall, and feels the extra year in juniors helped grow his game. “One year more experience has definitely helped and hopefully helps them see that I’m ready to make the team and I’m ready to try to stick there for the long run,” Strome said.
He’s not getting free reign of whatever roster openings the Arizona Coyotes may have, however.
Fellow center Christian Dvorak made a strong case for himself by leading the London Knights to the Memorial Cup Trophy, and some would argue his style of play and frame are better suited to jump into the NHL this fall.
Then there are names like Brendan Perlini, Conor Garland, and Christian Fischer who will certainly be knocking on the door.
Despite the stiff competition, if I had to put money on a number I’d expect to see in the lineup on opening night at Gila River Arena, it’d be #20.
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Fans have Dylan Strome penciled in as the Arizona Coyotes’ franchise center for the next decade plus. The organization does as well.
They’ll give Strome every opportunity to be anchoring his own line in the desert this fall. By all indications he’s going to do everything he can to seize the brass ring.