Dylan Strome has shown no issues adjusting to playing for the Blackhawks after being traded from the Coyotes in November.
The 22-year-old center reunited with his best friend Alex DeBrincat, his linemate for two seasons with the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League, and quickly started to produce offensively. He’s racked up a career-high 14 goals and 44 points in 51 games with the Blackhawks after only scoring seven goals and 15 assists in 48 contests during three seasons with Arizona.
Strome has now played more than half of his career with the Blackhawks and will return Tuesday night to Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, for the first time since being traded. The night will be even more special as he’ll play in his 100th career NHL game since being drafted third overall in 2015.
Strome and Brendan Perlini, who was also traded to Chicago in exchange for Nick Schmaltz, played their first game against the Coyotes earlier this month. Strome set up Perlini for his second goal of Perlini’s hat trick in the Blackhawks’ 7-1 win over the Coyotes at the United Center in Chicago.
Perlini, who was selected 12th overall in 2014, was the more established NHL player between he and Strome prior to the trade. Perlini scored 33 goals and 57 points in 153 games with Arizona. His time with the Blackhawks started off slow, but he’s put up eight goals and 10 points in 11 games this month with three multi-point games.
Both Perlini and Strome have proven the Coyotes gave up on them too soon, and Tuesday they’ll have a chance to show that in the arena they used to call home.