Washington Capitals sign Dylan Strome to one-year contract

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Dylan Strome to a one-year deal, according to a report by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Strome, 25, scored 22 goals and 48 points in 69 games with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2021–22 regular season. His new deal with the Capitals reportedly carries a $3.5 million cap hit.

The Arizona Coyotes selected Strome with the No. 3 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft but traded him and Brendan Perlini to Chicago just over three years later in exchange for forward Nick Schmaltz.

Strome found his game in Chicago over parts of four seasons with the team. He finished the 2018–19 season with 17 goals and 51 points in 58 games after the trade.

While primarily playing with high-scoring winger Patrick Kane, Strome scored 60 goals and 154 points in 225 regular-season games with the Blackhawks between 2018 and 2022. Prior to the deal, he netted seven goals and 16 points in 48 games with the Coyotes.

Strome also appeared in nine games with Chicago during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring two goals and three points. The Blackhawks elected not to tender Strome a qualifying offer earlier this month, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The 6’3″, 200-pound center joins a Capitals team that added Darcy Kuemper, Connor Brown, and Erik Gustafsson on Wednesday but still faces significant questions down the middle, particularly with Nicklas Backstrom still recovering from hip surgery.