Position: Center
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 176 lbs
Birthdate: July 11th, 1993
Birthplace: Mississauga, ON, CAN
Acquired: Draft, Round 1, 5th overall, 2011 NHL Entry Draft
2010-2011 Team: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
2010-2011 Stats: 65 GP - 33 G - 73 A - 106 P - 82 PIM
2010-2011 Playoffs: 14 GP - 6 G - 6 A - 12 P 19 PIM
2011-2012 Team: Niagara IceDogs
Team Role: #1 Center/Top Line Forward
Last year: Strome absolutely exploded in the production department last year after getting accustomed to his teammates on Niagara. Strome only had 2 less points than Jason Akeson and Tyler Toffoli, of whom he is younger than. His absolutely outstanding skating ability, insane accuracy, magnificent stickhandling and uncanny ability to set his teammates up led Niagara into the playoffs, although ultimately falling short in the Eastern Conference finals. Strome proved he was a legitimate talent in every way possible, and after once being projected to be a late 1st round pick, his meteoric rise in production cemented him in the top 10.
Expectations: Strome is still a smaller player who needs to pack on some muscle and grow into his body, so he will almost definitely be sent back to Niagara for another season with the Ice Dogs, along with fellow high scoring teammates Alex Friesen and Freddie Hamilton. If Strome plays all 68 games, the sky is the limit. We could see an offensive outburst of at least 115 points or more, unless Strome is given his 9 game NHL tryout much like Nino Niederreiter was last year. If Dougie Hamilton is returned to Niagara by the Bruins, Strome should be leading the IceDogs back to the playoffs as well. He will need to work on his two way play and learn to be a bit more consistent, but those are to be expected of such a young player and will come with more experience this year. He should also be improving his statistics in the goal category, as after what we saw in the rookie game and blue and white scrimmage, Strome packs an absolute laser of a wrist shot. This is ebgoing to be a big season for Strome to prove he was worth the 5th pick.
Projections: GP 66 - 39 G - 79 A - 118 P
Thoughts:
AT: I was very pleased with the Islanders choosing Strome with their 5th pick, and with everything I've seen in scrimmages and games since, I'm even more ecstatic. I do however do not believe it would be wise to keep Strome in the NHL this season, as we saw what happened with Josh Bailey being rushed into the NHL before he was fully developed. We know the talent that is there with Strome, it's just not likely that it's mature enough for the NHL just yet. It should be interesting to see if he's given his 9 game tryout like Niederreiter was, as he's much smaller and could be thrown around in the NHL. Strome has the tools to create an absolute force down the middle with Tavares and Nielsen, and if properly developed will give the Islanders one of the best top 9 sets in the NHL. If all things go accordingly, we've got a hell of a player to wait for.
CH: This kid is an absolute stud. He does everything well, and most things extremely well. His shot is blistering, his vision is astounding, his speed is blazing, and his effort is like a workhorse. Strome put forth the best rookie camp (including the rookie games) of any Islanders first round pick since before Kyle Okposo, and that includes John Tavares. Now, those scrimmages are far from indicative of Strome's NHL future, but it certainly makes me excited for his future. Alex is right - Strome should be nowhere near the NHL this season, and my gut says he won't be. The Islanders are very crowded at forward, and barring some catastrophic injuries, there is plenty of depth to compensate. Let Strome develop this year. He'll come back stronger, tougher, and faster next year. And then - watch out.
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