Dylan Strome is a 6’3 187 pound center from Mississauga, ON. His brother Ryan is a pretty good player for the New York Islanders. He isn’t getting by on only bloodlines. Strome recorded 129 point in only 68 games for the Erie Otters. He’s an elite offensive player who should, barring something unexpected, go in the top five of this draft.
If the Stars were to draft Strome they would likely need to trade up and need him to fall a little bit. As much depth as the Stars have up front it’s unlikely they would do that. These things tend toward chaos if something wild happens though so saying it isn’t possible the Stars wind up with Strome is risky regardless of how unlikely it is.
He’s a very good player though, and he’s being a bit overshadowed by the two alpha males who will get drafted ahead of him: Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. What kind of player is Strome? Mike Morreale of NHL.com weighs in:
“Ryan Strome told me that his brother plays with a little more of an edge than he did his draft year. Similarly, both Ryan and Dylan have that competitive edge and grittiness. Dylan wants the puck and wants to score and wants to win. He’s driven and has that competitive edge. I think a fair comparison is a Ryan Kesler or a Cory Perry type; a guy who’s a strong skater, has agility and that reach that scouts love to see.”
Comparing him to Corey Perry is unwelcoming. Let’s see what Future Considerations has to say about Strome:
Elite offensive forward…a big forward who moves well, and demonstrated some very good power and speed…is tough to contain as he used his speed, strength and creativity to beat defenders…has great vision with the puck and sees the ice very well…uses his crafty hands to dance around defenders and get into positions where he could shoot or set-up teammates…distributes the puck well and is able to create a lot of chances…has a lethal wrist-shot with great power and a pretty good release…uses his size and reach on the boards to win the puck and get in good supporting areas to pick up loose pucks…defensive effort goes up and down
We’re looking at a fast, strong, offensively gifted forward who apparently is annoying to play against given the Kesler and Perry comps. This is an element the Stars don’t have a ton of in their top six forwards. His skill set would really complement what the Stars already have in place.
Video of Strome is even more impressive:
The chances of Strome making it to Dallas are slim, and long term it would cause some roster issues, but who cares? It’s always fun to consider adding an impact talent. Few players in this draft offer as much promise of a future impact as Strome. Whoever ends up drafting him will be getting a wonderful player, even if he isn’t McDavid or Eichel.