From 2015 to 2018, Dylan Strome was one of the most hyped prospects in the Arizona Coyotes organization. Drafted third overall in 2015, the forward was expected to be a massive part of general manager John Chayka’s big rebuild that consisted of young players like Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse, Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Christian Fischer, and Jakob Chychrun.
While it wasn’t Chayka who drafted Strome, he envisioned the forward as a big piece of the Coyotes’ future, praising his work ethic and seeing him as a franchise centerman. Strome did struggle to stay in the NHL, especially after being sent down to the Tucson Roadrunners, which he’s called the rock bottom of his career. However, after producing 53 points in 50 games with the Roadrunners, the forward started the 2018-19 season in the NHL.
However, 20 games into the season, Strome was shipped off in a package with Brendan Perlini to the Chicago Blackhawks, which sent Nick Schmaltz back the other way. It was a trade that many saw coming. The “bust” label was being applied to Strome by a lot of people after only putting up 16 points in 48 games with the Coyotes.
Almost a decade later, things have certainly changed. Strome is now a member of the Washington Capitals and has become the important player many saw glimpses of when he was drafted. The Coyotes are now in Utah and are called the Utah Mammoth. Strome’s former teammate Keller is now the captain of the team, putting up some really solid seasons the past couple of years as well.
Yet, despite all the time that has passed and the changes that have happened, Strome still talks to his former teammates from time to time. While his time in Arizona wasn’t always great, the city and the connections he made will be ones he’ll remember forever, especially every time the Capitals travel to Salt Lake City.
Arizona Origins
Right after the Capitals’ morning skate, Strome was one of the last players off the ice and in the locker room. Even after producing his first point-per-game season last year, he’s still a guy trying to improve and be the best player he can be.
This season hasn’t been a great one for the Capitals. After winning their division last season and ousting the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, the team has backtracked to a 40-30-9 record. There’s not much to smile about due to the Capitals not making the playoffs. However, when Strome was asked about Keller and Crouse, he couldn’t help but grin.
“Yeah, (we still keep in touch) a little bit,” Strome said. “I have their numbers on Snapchat and Instagram and stuff. We keep in touch that way. It was a long time ago, so it’s nice to see those two guys are still doing well.”
Strome, Keller, and Crouse were all together during the early days of Chayka’s run as GM of the Coyotes. They grinded and worked hard together to crack the NHL lineup.
Crouse and Strome, in particular, had the beginning of their careers linked together. Both were drafted in the first round back in 2015. Both played for Team Canada in the 2015 World Juniors, where they were put on a line together with Mitch Marner. The two were also sent down to the Roadrunners during the 2017-18 season, where they battled their way back to the NHL.
The duo leaned on each other constantly while in the American Hockey League, growing a tight bond. The next season, the two actually lived together before the Coyotes traded Strome.
Keller and Strome are good friends, too. They both share a love for golf, as most NHL players do. In fact, that’s what they were going to do together with another former Coyotes teammate, Chychrun, in Salt Lake City before their reunion plans were cancelled.
“I was with Chychrun,” Strome said. “We were talking to Keller about possibly playing some golf, but he had some family in town, so we didn’t do that, but it would’ve been nice.”
Related: Mammoth’s Clayton Keller Nominated for 2026 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Now in Washington, D.C., Strome and his wife, Tayler, have set up a great life in the city. The pair have three daughters together and two golden retrievers. He has told reporters constantly how much he loves the team. Obviously, playing with and being around Alex Ovechkin has been a treat, but Strome has loved playing with everyone from Aliaksei Protas to now Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Carlson.
Strome and his wife have loved living in the district. However, that’s not saying he didn’t love his time elsewhere as well. While Strome hasn’t been to Arizona in quite some time, he couldn’t help but say good things about the state, including hinting at a potential team in the future.
“I haven’t been there in a couple of years,” Strome said. “I went with my buddies a couple of summers ago. It’s obviously a great place to live, and we’ll see what happens in the future. It’s one of those places that you just love going to always.”
It’s no surprise that Strome still loves Arizona all these years later. For hockey players, it’s a great place to live. There’s a lot of golf, great weather, and a lot to do. Keller still owns a house in the state where he lives in the offseason. Auston Matthews usually frequents the state during the offseason as well. Former players like Michael Grabner, Andrew Ladd, Shane Doan, Jeremy Roenick, and Tyson Nash all live in Arizona.
However, Strome was impressed with Utah when he first played at the Delta Center during the team’s inaugural season. He’s been in some pretty loud environments at Capital One Arena. Strome called the Mammoth’s arena loud as well. Of course, the team winning both games they’ve ever played in the arena helps, especially given how crazy the first game was.
“It was awesome,” Strome said. “It was a lot of fun to play in. It was amidst the great chase, and he (Ovechkin) obviously got hurt that game. So it took a bad turn, but he had two goals in the game, and a hat trick the night before in Vegas. It was fun to come in on a back-to-back, and we played really well here.”
Friendships Standing the Test of Time
With those intense games came Strome taking on a team where his former teammates, Keller and Crouse, have led the Mammoth to being in playoff contention. It’s crazy to think a lot of the current players on the Mammoth are in Utah now because of trades made with Strome’s former teammates in Arizona. The draft pick used to draft Dylan Guenther was acquired in a trade that sent Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Vancouver. The draft pick used to draft Daniil But was acquired in the Chychrun trade with the Ottawa Senators.
Strome’s trade itself, which sent him to the Blackhawks, saw Schmaltz come to the Coyotes. Now with the Mammoth, he’s a core piece of the top six and has been a big part of the team’s run to make the postseason. Amidst a 70-plus point season, Schmaltz has earned an eight-year extension.
Guenther, Schmaltz, Keller, and Crouse are all parts of the Mammoth’s lethal top six. The group’s speed and offense have caught the attention of their opponents, something Strome complimented the team on, too.
“They play fast,” Strome said. “They don’t really let you off the hook; it seems like there’s no time for you to control the puck in your own zone. It seems like they’re always kind of on top of you, and they’re a skilled team. They got great personnel on the power play, and they’re always dangerous. They got some really elite playmakers and guys that can score. So you’ve got to be aware at all times, especially against their top six.”
We’re approaching ten years since Strome last played with Keller and Crouse. Those seasons in Arizona weren’t the best for the forward. He really struggled to be an everyday forward in the NHL, and on top of that, the Coyotes were still in a rebuild phase.
Despite that, Strome still looks back fondly upon those days, all these years later. The friendships he made with guys like Keller, Crouse, and Chychrun are still intact and going strong today. It’s a true representation of how close players get in hockey, even despite trades and departures. Years might’ve passed, and everyone might be in new locations, but Strome couldn’t be happier for his former teammates and wishes them nothing but the best as they chase a playoff spot.
