The Washington Capitals have announced a five-year, $25MM extension for Dylan Strome, keeping the free agent signing in town through 2027-28. CapFriendly has the full breakdown:
- 2023-24: $4.5MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $4.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2025-26: $2.5MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2026-27: $2.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2027-28: $2.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan released the following:
Dylan is an intelligent and skilled center and has been a great addition to our organization. We are pleased to sign him to a long-term contract. We feel his skill set is a great fit for our team as he enters the prime years of his career at an important position.
No one has ever doubted Strome’s offensive ability. The 25-year-old has always been able to rack up points on the powerplay, and has positional versatility at even strength, able to play center and the wing. But it’s all the other things about his game that have been criticized over the years.
Defense, work ethic, decision-making – all things that can quickly get you in the dog house of a coaching staff. It’s what ended up leading to a number of healthy scratches in Chicago, and eventually the Blackhawks’ decision to leave him unqualified, allowing Strome to walk into free agency.
A one-year, bet-on-yourself deal with the Capitals has paid off, as Strome now has some career and financial stability with Washington. A $5MM cap hit makes him a core piece of the team, and one that certainly won’t be sitting in the press box anymore.
There is some risk from the team side, given his history, but Strome is still just 25 and has a ton of hockey in front of him. With so many key players nearing the end of their careers or the end of their contracts, the window isn’t that long for Washington. Giving Strome more term for a lower cap hit now, allows them to load up and try to go for a few more runs with Alex Ovechkin and the gang.
After watching him for years in Chicago I think saying “There is some risk from the team side” is putting it lightly. I have not watched him much this year. But I find this contract stunning. Good for him. We’ll see for the team.
Well deserved
Fiiiinaly
I guess Eller is out then. Lots of money in centers Kuzzy (7.8) Backstrom (9) Strome (5) and Dowd ($1.5) Ellers 3.5 expires in off season.
They need to trade Mantha.
And Tom Wilson is a UFA next year.
Thats ugly. Too much per season and too many seasons.
The guy starts and incredible 77% of his shifts in the offensive zone. That means his coach doesn’t trust him to play defensively.
Or it means he is on a line with Ovechkin and his coach trusts him to make plays and score
Just a note on this because I hate how this stat is presented, and I feel as though it misinforms a lot of fans.
Strome doesn’t get a lot of defensive zone starts, it’s true. But he also doesn’t start 77% of his shifts in the offensive zone.
This year, at even strength, he has started:
160 shifts in the offensive zone
139 shifts in the neutral zone
50 shifts in the defensive zone
522 shifts on the fly
Peter Laviolette doesn’t usually trust anybody but Nic Dowd to take a defensive zone draw. You can’t always judge players by how PL uses them. The man’s moves don’t make any sense.
You also have to remember Ovechkin is usually on Strome’s wing, so that might account for the heavy use in the offensive zone.
No clause?? Strome, Eller, a 1st and a ’24 3rd and 4th for Larkin and Maata, both at 1/2 price
@Johnny Z
As a Caps fan, I’ll pass. We already got ripped off in the Mantha/Vrana deal by Detroit. Hopefully, GM McLellan isn’t so gullible that he’ll do another one much like it.
Vranna is kinda sour too! LOL
But you are liking Jenson! IDK, Larkin is by far the best man in the trade I put forth. There is a lot more risk in the return for him.
@Johnny Z
Personally, I’d treat 1st round picks like gold. Take for example the 1st rounder the Caps sent to Detroit in the Mantha deal. Detroit traded that pick to Dallas, to move up. Dallas used it to select Wyatt Johnston, who is their third line center, at the age of 19, on a team with legitimate Stanley Cup
aspirations. Not too shabby. So you could
argue that Detroit didn’t come out that great
in the deal, but the trade as first made was likely heavily in Detroit’s favor: Mantha for Vrana, 1st, 2nd and Pannik
PS Not that big of a fan of Larkin or Jensen