For my next few articles I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the first round picks from the four NHL teams that we cover here at Trifecta Sports. These players drafted will be a part of the future of the NHL and perhaps next generation’s superstars. Today we will take a look at Islanders first round pick Ryan Strome.
Lets get right to it.
Strome is average sized at 6’0″ 177 lbs, but possesses good hands and top-end speed. Strome has spent the past two years playing in the OHL with the Niagara Ice Dogs and was able to put up 106 points last year to put him third amongst all OHL scorers. Not to mention he was voted the most improved player this past year. He knows how to score and how to get to the “dirty areas” on the ice to put the puck in the net.
“He skates very well and has very good speed. He’s a creative playmaker who sees the ice very well. He goes to the net and battles in front. He is able to get to rebounds and loose pucks in front. He has good hands and has scored some goals off tip-ins in front.” said NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards.
Ryan Strome’s hometown is Mississauga, ON and has spent his entire life playing in Canada. Strome was a natural from the time he first laced up the skates.
“My dad and my grandpa, who lives around the corner from me, took me to a pond in the hydro fields behind my house and threw me on skates and pretty much just told me to go” said Strome
However with all this going for him, many were shocked to see him selected 5th overall to
the New York Islanders. There are multiple reasons that he was not expected to go as high as 5th. in fact many projected he would be a mid first round selection. This is due to the fact that he is not NHL ready quite yet and is a one year wonder. In fact the year before he had just 13 points in 27 games. Many teams worried that this season was a fluke.
I can assure you however that this was no fluke. After seeing some highlight reels on Strome, it is evident that he is a natural skater with great hands and hockey instincts. He knows not only what is going on around him, but what will happen. I’m not saying he will burst onto the scene as Jeff Skinner did last year, but with a year or two of development, Strome could be a great NHL player.
To the shock and joy of many –myself included– the Giants are Superbowl 46 champions! I was lucky enough to make it to the parade in downtown Manhattan; and it was pure insanity. People stood on ledges 5 stories up, the streets were packed in every crevice. Chants and choruses of air horns erupted as the Giants triumphantly made their way to City Hall. Fans climbed on top of bus stops, scaffolding; lamp posts and street signs just to get that “money shot” of their favorite stars. It is something I will never forget.
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