Dylan Strome’s Comeback a Bright Spot During Blackhawks’ Season

The Chicago Blackhawks’ 2021-22 season is officially over, and there were plenty of downs. Their 0-9-2 start to the season set a record for the worst start in franchise history. Their .415 points percentage is the lowest since the 2005-06 season, and they missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season with a record of 28-42-12. Because of all the low points, it’s easy to dwell on who and what went wrong. But the players who paid their dues deserve recognition, and one of them is center Dylan Strome.

I wrote earlier in the season that it would be best for Strome and the Blackhawks to part ways. However, his staying turned out to be the correct choice. Here are some takeaways from his season.

Strome’s Frustrating Start

Strome came into the 2021-22 season with a big chip on his shoulder. He was healthy scratched by then-head coach Jeremy Colliton for four of the last nine games in the 2020-21 season. Going into 2021, he was healthy scratched for the seven out of the first 11 games of the season. When current head coach Derek King took over on Nov. 6, Strome faced a similar fate with being on the outside looking in. In total, he had 13 healthy scratches this season. He had seven points in his first 20 games of the season (three goals, four assists) while primarily playing on the bottom-six averaging 13 minutes a night.

Although there were factors out of his control with the healthy scratches, it didn’t seem like he was taking advantage of the ice time he did get, although it was limited. It was the worst outcome for him going into the season, and it didn’t look like it would improve. He seemed destined to be traded before the new year.

Strome’s Mid-Season Turnaround

The tides didn’t start turning for Strome until after Christmas. He was promoted to the first line alongside Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat in January. The team wasn’t finding sustained success anywhere throughout the four lines, so putting Strome with DeBrincat seemed like a safe bet based on their Erie Otter days in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). It ended up being successful not only for the Blackhawks but for Strome as well. His production started to steadily rise from that point on.

At 25 years old, Strome has seemingly re-created a name for himself in the NHL, and I admit that he proved me wrong. I was hard on him and didn’t think he could have the impact that Chicago needed from him. But, he showed that he does have the effect that NHL teams need. I don’t know if he has a future with the Blackhawks, but it has been nice to see him turn the season around the way that he has. He seemed to have the right attitude and took everything in stride, and those players are always easy to root for. And hey, who doesn’t love a comeback story? Now Strome has another one to add to his career.