The Capitals forward became an alternate captain at the end of this past season.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — When Nic Dowd and John Carlson were traded right before the trade deadline, the Washington Capitals found themselves in a strange spot, looking the rest of a grueling playoff push in the face with two key leaders headed to new cities.
There were a lot of emotions, and in turn, a lot of things to say. So the Capitals talked it out, and a big proponent of that — and a notable participant in the meeting the players had in their room afterward — was no other than Dylan Strome.
"We had a good meeting in the locker room after both those guys left and just talked it out, and I feel i was able to speak my mind in there," Strome recalled. "Say how you feel, and it doesn't always have to be positive. A good thing about this team is we''re pretty open and honest, and if guys got something on their chest, there's no problem getting it off (your chest). I feel like I was able to do that more on a level this year."
It was a pivotal moment of growth for the 29-year-old, who has not only made a name for himself as a top-6 center in Washington, but has also become a vital leader that has helped the team through tough times such as that one.
That said, it was no surprise that Strome was promoted to an alternate captain following Dowd and Carlson's departures.
"He got to sit in the front row in the (team) picture, so he's got that going for him. That's going on the wall for sure," fellow alternate captain Tom Wilson quipped, but on a serious note, said, "Stromer is a guy that just has such a good relatiionship with everybody in the room. He's such a good teammate and obviously a big part of what goes on on the ice, but he's a leader in his own right."
For Strome, wearing the "A" meant more than just having an extra patch on his jersey; it was a role he took seriously and did his best to step into.
"I've always kind of done that, just naturally being a people person, the open, honest guy that guys can come talk to. Can keep it serious but also like to have fun the majority of the time," Strome said. "That's a huge part of it... you learn and you grow as the season goes on and as your career goes on. You were once in the guys' shows that's coming in playing their first game, or guys that may be struggling or having a down year, you just learn and adapt and try to help as best as you can."
That said, Strome did what he could to not only lead by example off the ice, but was more vocal in the room and tried to send a message that carried. It worked, as he helped his team rally and make an unlikely final push for the playoffs.
Though D.C. came up just short of a berth, Strome saw himself grow as a leader.
"The area that I grew (was) just being more open and honest in the dressing room and able to talk when everyone's listening," Strome said. "When I got here, I was just trying to focus on being a consistent player in the lineup, (trying) to cement myself as a player who could be relied upon and be in the lineup every game... I just try to pride myself on being available and to play all the games and be a contributor."
His teammates also took notice, and ultimately, cited Strome's personality and demeanor as having provided a major boost.
"One of the things with Stromer is he's just, like, just a good guy... Everybody has their different ways of kind of leading. Stromer, he's a good person," Wilson said. "Everybody in the room loves him. He’s stepping into, obviously, more of a leadership role as he gets older and he's been fun to have on our team the last little while, and he's a big piece of it."
Ultimately, as the Capitals head into a pivotal offseason and look to rebound next year, they're looking forward to seeing what Strome can continue to bring from that leadership perspective.
"You guys all know how smart of a hockey guy he is, but also the little individual tendencies, the things that happen in the game," Carbery said, adding, "(Strome’s experience) is so valuable from a leadership standpoint."