Capitals sign Dylan Strome to five-year contract extension

The Washington Capitals have announced a five-year, $25M extension for Dylan Strome, keeping the free agent signing in town through 2027-28. 

CapFriendly has the full breakdown:

• 2023-24: $4.5M salary + $2.0M signing bonus
• 2024-25: $4.0M salary + $2.0M signing bonus
• 2025-26: $2.5M salary + $2.0M signing bonus
• 2026-27: $2.0M salary + $2.0M signing bonus
• 2027-28: $2.0M salary + $2.0M signing bonus

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan released the following:

Dylan is an intelligent and skilled center and has been a great addition to our organization. We are pleased to sign him to a long-term contract. We feel his skill set is a great fit for our team as he enters the prime years of his career in an important position.

No one has ever doubted Strome’s offensive ability. The 25-year-old has always been able to rack up points on the powerplay, and has positional versatility at even strength, able to play center and the wing. But it’s all the other things about his game that have been criticized over the years.

Defense, work ethic and decision-making are all things that can quickly get you in the dog house of a coaching staff. It’s what ended up leading to several healthy scratches in Chicago, and eventually, the Blackhawks’ decision to leave him unqualified, allowing Strome to walk into free agency.

A one-year, bet-on-yourself deal with the Capitals has paid off, as Strome now has some career and financial stability with Washington. A $5M cap hit makes him a core piece of the team and one that certainly won’t be sitting in the press box anymore.

There is some risk from the team side, given his history, but Strome is still just 25 and has a ton of hockey in front of him. With so many key players nearing the end of their careers or the end of their contracts, the window isn’t that long for Washington. Giving Strome more term for a lower cap hit now, allows them to load up and try to go for a few more runs with Alex Ovechkin and the gang.