Dylan Strome on the relief factor to the end of the season..
It's to no one surprised this year that many players on the Blackhawks roster are filled with frustrations after the way the season panned out. Dylan Strome (C) has been in the rumor mill since the beginning of the season and whether or not he will be returning next year. As the season has come to an end, he is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. Strome finished out the 2021-22 season with 48 points consisting of 22 goals and 26 assists in 69 games. Jeremy Colliton healthy scratched Strome from 13 games before Derek King took over in November and he only had seven points in his first 20 games. From the fan's standpoint, it did not seem like he was making the most of his ice time when he did get it. However, things started to pick up for him when he was moved to the first line in January and since then he was more consistent and was averaging 20 minutes TOI. Yesterday, following the Blackhawks' last game of the regular season, reporter Phil Thompson from the Chicago Tribune asked Dylan Strome whether there was a «relief factor» to the end of the season and his response was refreshing. Take a listen:
It's not a surprise why there would be a relief factor now that the season is over for the Blackhawks; Chicago finished the season 28-42-12, coming in with 68 points on the season, finishing 27th in the NHL. This was their worst season since 2005-06 and, for the most part, will be one to forget. Due to the fact that Strome had such a rocky beginning this season, it's no surprise that he was asked this question. However, as previously mentioned, his response was professional and refreshing, reminding everybody that these players all have dreams of making it to a Stanley Cup final and no true NHL player would be happy or «relieved» to not make it to the playoffs, regardless of how the season went. Seth Jones also said in an interview last night that the Blackhawks season left «a bad taste in your mouth overall,» which is expected and everyone on the roster should be frustrated that things turned out the way they did. The overall outcome of this season should do nothing but light a fire within the group and the organization as a whole to get it together come next season. If we, as fans, are disappointed with how this year went, imagine how the players feel.
As a Blackhawks fan, I would love to see Strome return next year because clearly, all he needed was the opportunity to prove that he has the capabilities to seriously contribute to this team's success. Ever since Kyle Davidson was named the 10th GM, a major talking point has been about a rebuild. Forme, at 25 years old, Dylan Strome has much more to give this team and we would be lucky to have him on the roster for the following season. Here's to hopeful vibes that 2022-23 show the growth and progress we have all been promised.
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