The Chicago Blackhawks Need to Sign Dylan Strome Now
The Chicago Blackhawks need to give Dylan Strome a contract now if the team stands any chance on the ice.
Losing Kirby Dach hurt the Blackhawks centermen depth, but losing Jonathan Toews basically killed it. As of right now, the Chicago Blackhawks best centermen with a contract would have to be Carl Soderberg. No disrespect to Soderberg, but Chicago needs to get Dylan Strome back with the team.
The centermen depth was the best thing about the Blackhawks two weeks ago. Now it is something that is definitely hurting the team. While Chicago does have centers like Lucas Wallmark, Carl Soderberg, Ryan Carpenter, and David Kampf available to play, Strome would make this group look a little better.
We don’t know whether Zack Smith or Andrew Shaw will be ready to go for next season yet. I think we probably won’t know for sure those two players’ status until the season gets closer. If either is available, I think they could be great pieces of the bottom six and help factor in the faceoff dot.
So, with Toews and Dach out, Chicago’s pipeline at center is weak. Chicago needs Dylan Strome back now more than ever, and if they can, they might want to secure a second year on that contract. Strome will get a lot of opportunities this season now thanks to the ‘Hawks losing their other two top centermen, and if he can rise to the occasion and succeed, then his next contract might look a little bit bigger.
With injuries in the lineup comes opportunities for other players. So with Toews, Nylander, and Dach out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, Chicago will look to other players to step up and play a bigger role.
Are the Blackhawks going to be a top team in the NHL? No. Did these injuries help play a role in that? Yes. However, we should still have some fun hockey to watch within the next few weeks!