James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Trade rumors have swirled about Dylan Strome since the start of the season. So far, however, there’s no indication the Chicago Blackhawks are close to finding a new home for the 24-year-old center.
Injuries and inconsistent play over the last two seasons hindered Strome’s performance and sent him tumbling down the depth chart. Despite a solid training camp, Strome was a healthy scratch through the Blackhawks’ first four games.
The Chicago Sun-Times‘ Ben Pope suggested the struggling club wasn’t doing themselves or Strome any favors by banishing the center to the press box. He’s since appeared in their last two games.
Pope claimed the Anaheim Ducks had long held an interest in the young playmaker. He also noted the Ottawa Senators were linked to Strome and suggested the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild as teams in need of help at center.
The Ottawa Sun‘s Bruce Garrioch reported the Senators kicked tires on Strome over the summer but were no longer interested. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin believes the answers to his club’s sputtering start can be found within the organization.
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports Rangers GM Chris Drury is currently focused on acquiring a top prospect for unhappy winger Vitali Kravtsov. With the Wild off to a strong start, GM Bill Guerin isn’t under pressure to make a trade.
That leaves the Ducks among those potential suitors but GM Bob Murray doesn’t seem in a rush to make early changes to his rebuilding roster. In any case, the Blackhawks haven’t made Strome an enticing target by playing him in just two games. He’ll need more ice time to improve his value in the trade market.
