It’s a question many Oilers fans are probably asking today. Just over six hours ago, a bombshell dropped that for the second time in a year the Oilers made a one-for-one deal in order to address needs.

Ryan Strome is a former 5th overall selection from the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and is now the third top-five selection from that draft on the Edmonton Oilers roster. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Larsson being the other two.

Standing at 6’1, 199 lbs, Strome has put up 126 points (45G, 81A) in 258 NHL games.

At 507 NHL games, Jordan Eberle put up 382 points. Currently, Strome projects to score 248 points by that point in his NHL career.

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Despite that, Strome brings a lot to the table that the former Oiler didn’t. A few inches in height and about 15 lbs is the difference size wise in the two.

Strome has largely underperformed since his sophomore season where he put up career highs in games played (81), goals (17), assists (33) and points (50).

In the 140 games since, he has put up 58 points.

This drop off seemed to have come from what appeared to be a frayed relationship with former Islanders head coach Jack Capuano who was let go last year by the team. Often, Strome was singled out for benching by Capuano.

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Following the firing of Capuano and the hiring of Doug Weight as the new coach, Strome was able to score 80 per cent of his goals last year under the new coach.

Over his four year career, Strome has been nothing but a solid 5v5 hockey player via stats.hockeyanalysis.com:

5v5 TOI P/60 SH% GF% GF% RelTM CF% CF% RelTm PDO Strome 3137:03 1.74 8.27% 51.6% 1.6 50.3% /0.2 100.1

From Lighthouse Hockey, who gave Strome a “B-” grade for his 2016-2017 season:

The above grade is not necessarily a fair grading of what Strome can be, but what the season was. No one ever knew why, but Cappy had it out for Strome, and he struggled under him. Like many of our other players, he immediately changed when Weight came in, scoring 80% of his goals when he came in. But he suffered a broken wrist in the last month of the season, ending his chances to add to his scoring numbers. If we keep Strome, I think he can play up to his potential.

Strome’s broken wrist came on March 22 and it was reported he may have been able to play if the team made the playoffs.

In his past, he has shown an ability to put up numbers.

As a member of the OHL’s Barrie Colts and later Niagara Ice Dogs, Strome put up 295 points in 225 games.

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Not only that, he scored 15 points over his 12 World Junior Championships games. Strome can be an elite level goal scorer.

This is what was said of Strome pre-draft in 2011:

NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards “He skates very well and has very good speed. He’s a creative playmaker who sees the ice very well. He goes to the net and battles in front. He is able to get to rebounds and loose pucks in front. He has good hands and has scored some goals off tip-ins in front.”

Sounds like a player the Oilers could certainly use. All signs point to Strome having needed a change of scenery and now he will get it playing alongside Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers are going to welcome him with open arms and it already sounds like Strome is ecstatic to be joining the team.

“I remember sitting in my basement a couple of months ago watching the playoffs and it was like, ‘holy, these guys are good players.'”



