Dylan Strome

Still just 25 years old, Strome posted a career-high 22 goals and 48 points in 69 games for the Blackhawks a season ago. The No. 3 overall pick (2015), Strome would seem to be the type of player worth building around. Instead, Chicago didn't qualify him and Strome inked a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Capitals in unrestricted free agency. With Nicklas Backstrom dealing with a hip injury and uncertain to play again, Strome would appear to have a real chance to open the season as Washington's No. 1 center alongside Alex Ovechkin in addition to seeing some time with the man advantage, making him a fantasy sleeper heading into the 2022-23 campaign.

Strome was banged up all year in 2020-21, most notably with a concussion which cost him about three weeks in the middle of the season. He was also a healthy scratch on a couple occasions. Strome's offensive production was also way down (nine goals, 17 points in 40 games) and his minus-16 rating is highly concerning. If that's not bad enough, the Blackhawks will welcome Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach back for a full season in addition to the club's acquisition of Tyler Johnson via trade from Tampa Bay. It's a crowded, top-heavy offensive depth chart for Chicago and Strome could easily fall through the cracks. Fantasy managers would be wise to let another team take the risk on draft day.

Strome followed up an impressive first season in Chicago with a dud, but so did the rest of the team in 2019-20. He finished with 26 assists and 38 points, and saw his role decrease after getting leapfrogged by Kirby Dach on the depth chart. He was originally expected to be dropped down to the third line in 2020-21, but with Dach expected to miss most if not all of the campaign while recovering from wrist surgery, Strome shouldn't have any trouble hanging on to a top-six role and perhaps even a spot on the Blackhawks' top power-play unit. That will give him 15-goal, 40-plus point upside, making Strome worth a look in the middle rounds on draft day.

The third overall pick was having yet another underwhelming start to the season last year, notching six points in 19 games, when the Coyotes decided to cut their losses and send him to Chicago in exchange for Nick Schmaltz in late November. The change of scenery couldn't have worked out better for Strome, who went on to rack up 17 goals and 51 points in 58 games with the Blackhawks while exhibiting tremendous chemistry with former Erie Otters teammate Alex DeBrincat. It appears as though Chicago has finally found its long-awaited No. 2 center in Strome, who will be locked into a spot in the Blackhawks' top six while getting ample work with the man advantage in 2019-20. Strome may not be able to replicate the near point-per-game pace he set during his time with Chicago last year, but 20-plus goals and 60-plus points should be easily attainable for the 6-foot-3 pivot in his first full season as a Blackhawk, making him a desirable secondary option in any fantasy format.

The third overall pick from the 2015 draft has yet to live up to expectations at hockey's highest level. While Strome fared well in his first season with AHL Tucson -- 61 points (25 goals, 36 assists) in 59 games -- he has yet to stand out in the pack of youthful Desert Dogs with 10 points (four goals, six assists) through 28 contests. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that Strome produced eight three goals and five assists in the final 10 games before heading to AHL Tucson for its 2018 playoff run, so if the skilled two-way competitor picks up where left off, he could yield a substantial return.

The blue-chip prospect is expected to be Arizona's No. 1 center down the line, and Strome showcased his promise by capping off his OHL career with a Memorial Cup Championship and tournament MVP honors. His offensive upside is sky high, and he already had a seven-game stint with Arizona to start the 2016-17 campaign. However, it wouldn't be shocking if Arizona continued to be pragmatic with its coveted prospect. Strome needs to fill out his 6-foot-3 frame and show that he can play a 200-foot game, and that might require some AHL seasoning. There's a legitimate chance that everything will click in training camp and he lands a permanent NHL job, but just note that it might not be a seamless transition to full-time NHL duty, either.

Strome is a power forward looking to turn pro after three successful campaigns with OHL Lake Erie, which saw him amass 92 goals, 187 helpers and a plus-87 rating. Drafted by the Coyotes with the third overall pick of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Strome tentatively projects to start the upcoming season in a top-six role, centering a natural scorer in Tobias Rieder and Shane Doan, the ageless wonder. Furthermore, Leapfrogging Brad Richardson for time on the man advantage should be a small hurdle for Strome, thus adding to his intrigue from a fantasy perspective. Strome should already be on dynasty and keeper rosters and his upside alone makes him worth a speculative play at the back end of season-long drafts this fall.

Strome was selected third overall by the Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and may immediately become the organization's top prospect, which is saying something with Max Domi and Anthony Duclair already in the fold. The optimism is for good reason, though, as Strome led the OHL in scoring this year with 132 points while playing in the shadow of No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid. The big (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) center showed that he wasn't just riding McDavid's coattails when he posted 29 points in the 20 games his more well-known teammate missed due to injury and through his commitment to the World Junior Championship. While Strome is likely to head back to junior for another season, he has the potential to be a top-line center in the NHL for a long time, and is certainly worthy of rostering in dynasty formats.