Ryan Strome agrees to two-year deal with New York Islanders
The New York Islanders have agreed to terms with restricted free agent forward Ryan Strome.
Going into the 2016 offseason, one of the main priorities for the New York Islanders has been getting their young talent signed. The Islanders have gotten their last restricted free agent remaining under contract, agreeing to terms with Ryan Strome.
The Islanders selected Strome in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2011 National Hockey Leaguue Draft. In 189 career games with the Islanders, Strome has 96 points (32 goals, 64 assists). He posted single-season career highs in goals (17), assists (33) and points (50) in 2014-15. Strome has also scored eight points (three goals, five assists) in 15 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Strome is an important part of the Islanders moving forward. According to Arthur Staple, his contract with the Islanders will pay him $5 million, giving him an average annual value of $2.5 million. Strome will be asked to do more with the departure of Frans Nielsen. He could be seeing more time alongside star center John Tavares as well. Strome spent more time with Tavares last season than any other forward.
He is coming off a frustrating season that saw him get just eight goals and 28 points after setting career highs with 17 goals and 50 points in 2014-15. However, that had more to do with terrible luck and spending time in head coach Jack Capuano’s doghouse than anything else. Expect him to have a much better season in 2016-17.
A short-term deal makes a lot of sense for both sides. The Islanders avoid committing a lot of money to a player who might not be a part of their future. Strome gets paid while getting a chance to prove he is worthy of a long-term deal, whether that be with the Islanders or someone else. Both sides get precisely what they want, so it’s a win-win deal.
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