NEWSLETTER
Dylan Strome was nominated for the Professional Hockey Writers Association’s Masterton Trophy this morning, an honor awarded annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game.”
There’s little doubt that Strome fits the bill after overcoming the first half of the season that he endured in Chicago.
New: Dylan Strome is the Chicago chapter of @ThePHWA's nominee for the 2022 Masterton Trophy, awarded for "perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 25, 2022
Strome was a healthy scratch the first four games of the season, six of the first eight, and seven of the first 11.
As Mark Lazerus wrote last week, Blackhawks interim head coach Derek King told Strome in November how he was in those training-camp meetings when Jeremy Colliton made it clear that Strome wasn’t even in the conversation for a spot. Strome recalls King telling him that he needed to play better in certain areas to earn playing time but assured Strome that he was getting a fresh start with him behind the bench.
“He said something along the lines of, ‘I know you have the skill. I love the way you play. But you’ve got to work away from the puck,’” Strome recalled. “I had never been a part of a coaching change like that before. But any time a guy comes in and communicates something like that with you right away, the relationship just builds from there. I wasn’t playing that well, to be honest with you, at the beginning of the year. I knew that. But when you’re in and out of the lineup, it’s hard to build your confidence and get on a roll and play well. He came in and wanted to give me a chance.”
King was true to his word. Strome didn’t immediately see a steady helping of playing time, but he eventually worked his way into a top-six role, a shot that he wasn’t given by Jeremy Colliton early this season. Since Strome became a regular on the top two lines on January 21, he has logged 37 points in 40 games (18 goals, 19 assists) and is shooting 21.8 percent. Strome’s 21.8 percent shooting percentage is fourth in the NHL for players with 40 or more games since January 21. During that span, Dylan Strome, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat have combined for 52 goals (18, 17, 17) which are 46 percent of the Blackhawks’ 113 goals scored.
While there’s plenty of question as to what Strome’s future in Chicago looks like, there is no question that his perseverance through a nightmarish first half of the season has helped cement the future of the former third overall pick in 2015 (behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel) in the NHL.
The top three vote-getters, as determined by a membership-wide runoff, will be designated as finalists. The Masterton Trophy will be awarded, along with the other NHL major awards, between Games 3 & 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
