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Coyotes send Dylan Strome back to OHL's Erie Otters
Dylan Strome wasn’t able to get regular ice time with the Arizona Coyotes this season, so the team has decided to send the No. 3 overall pick from the 2015 NHL Draft back to Erie of the OHL.
From the Coyotes:
“Dylan has made exceptional progress and continues to make strides to being an elite center in this league,” said GM John Chayka. “At this point in time we felt it was best for his development to get him back playing in junior, but his future in the NHL is very bright.”
Strome has only cracked the lineup for seven games this season, recording just one assist and averaging 13:41 of ice time per game. Because of that, his contract will likely end up sliding one year.
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Due to the agreement between the NHL and CHL, a player like Strome – under 20 – is ineligible to play in the American Hockey League and therefore must be sent back to junior. Playing in Erie last season, he dominated for a second straight year, posting another 100-point campaign with 37 goals.
Now Strome will spend a fourth season with the Otters, continue being dominant at the junior level, aid Canada in their quest for gold at the World Junior Championship next month and potentially help Arizona’s AHL affiliate in Tucson once the OHL season ends.
The Coyotes are doing the right thing here if Chayka and Dave Tippett feel that Strome’s game right now isn’t where it needs to be for consistent playing time. The organization is chock full of young talent and there are no Stanley Cup dreams for this season, so they might as well be patient developing the kids who they want to be leading them for the next decade. But considering his success in the OHL – 92 goals, 279 points in 184 games – it would probably be preferable to see him continue his development in the AHL.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
