All in the Family: Strome Brothers Could Team Up Next Season
Philadelphia is the city of Brotherly Love, but Chicago is staking their claim to that title, specifically the Blackhawks who already have Seth and Caleb Jones along with Colton and Kirby Dach. 48 sets of brothers have played on the same team in NHL history and 21 have been with Chicago including Max, Doug and Reg Bentley who were the first brothers to play on the same line. Reg's only goal on January 1, 1943 was assisted by both brothers, the first time all three participants in an NHL goal were related.
Could another brother pairing be in the cards for Chicago? Dylan and Ryan Strome are both free agents this offseason and they both make a lot of sense for the Hawks. Since his first season with the Rangers where he only reached 33 points, Ryan has established himself into a legitimate top-six center on a line with Artemi Panarin. He has 161 points over the last three seasons including a career-high 21 goals this season.
The emergence of Andrew Copp (18 points in 16 games) has made Strome expendable and likely too pricey for the Rangers to keep. The Rangers have had Strome at a $4.5MM cap hit. With center Chris Kreider ($8.5MM) already on the books, it's not easy to see how the Rangers could match a major, market-price offer for Strome's services.
Ryan brings a physicality to the table as well with 204 penalty minutes over the last four seasons. He is known for being a facilitator and would thrive on a line with an elite playmaker like Kane and reuniting with his brother would be the icing on the cake.
| POLL | ||
Would you like to see the Hawks sign Ryan Strome? | ||
| Yes | 111 | 61.3 % |
| No | 19 | 10.5 % |
| Better Options | 51 | 28.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
