Dylan Strome spent just one season in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners. All he did was score 53 points in 50 games (22g 31a) and anchor the top line en route to the team’s only playoff run thus far.
The former third overall pick was hyped to be the answer to a gigantic hole in the middle of the top line that has plagued the Arizona Coyotes franchise since the departure of Jeremy Roenick. Unfortunately, whether it was his own fault or the organization’s, Strome’s tenure did not play out as hoped by both sides.
While he never really got the playing time to break out under both Dave Tippett and Rick Tocchet, he absolutely lit up the AHL during the 2017-2018 season.
Dylan Strome shown here on May 7th, 2018 in a second round playoff matchup against the Dallas Stars. Strome’s jersey is photomatched to multiple games throughout the playoffs.
While Strome is not known for his physicality, this 2017-2018 White Set gamer has a pretty solid amount of wear.
The left sleeve is absolutely hammered with repairs, paint transfer, and unrepaired holes. Most of the photomatches I’ve been able to dig up are related to this sleeve.
There are puck and stick marks on the front of the jersey, including several around the crest. The right sleeve also has a nice smattering of puck marks throughout. The back of the jersey is relatively clean with only minor wear.
Dylan Strome and Lawson Crouse shown here in a rare double photomatch from a game on May 11, 2018 in the second round of the AHL playoffs versus the Texas Stars.
One of the more awesome details from Strome’s game worn jersey is that there is a series of photos taken by the Tucson Roadrunners right after Lawson Crouse scored a first period goal on May 11th, 2018. The photos show Strome and Crouse celebrating the goal together, and I just so happen to own the jersey each player is wearing in the photos.
There are multiple matches to wear on both jerseys in the sequence, in particular the photo shown above. To my knowledge, this is the first double photomatch I’ve ever had in my collection.
Dylan Strome was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in a surprise move on November 25th, 2018. It seemed as though the organization had given up hope on Strome fitting into Rick Tocchet’s newly established system, and had ran out of patience for the once promising forward.
Since landing in Chicago, the 23 year old has scored 89 points in 116 games for the Blackhawks. Not a bad tally, to be sure, but also not quite what was expected of the third overall pick in the 2015 draft.
Strome never really got a fair shake in Arizona and it’s possible the way he was handled irreparably stunted his growth as a player. It’s also possible he was never going to be the player scouts and analysts expected.
Whatever the case, his time in Tucson was electric and it’s arguable he is the most talented player to put on a Roadrunners jersey since their return in 2016-2017.