Strome on his Capitals role, Washington's roster improvements and the rise of contracts

0:00Hi, this is Dave Roberts. Heading into summer without a medical emergency kit, that's a risk. Summer colds can linger and getting sick on vacation can derail everything. That's why everyone needs a medical emergency kit. It includes Dr. prescribed medications to treat common and serious illnesses. So if you wake up sick, at home or on the road, you already have what you need. It's like having an urgent care and pharmacy at home. Say $45 with code blue at urgentcarekit.com slash blue urgent care kit.com slash blue. Joining us now here on Overdrive once again needs always a treat to have on the show. Dylan Strome, forward for the Washington Capitol. Go down Dylan has your summer been. Hey guys, it's going going great. You a lot. I know your big J's fan. You've been following along. What's going on with the blue J's here? They think they make it in or what? I don't know. I mean, they've been playing a little bit better as of late. We actually went down maybe last Wednesday. They beat Kansas City three and a half.

1:01It was kind of a boring game, but they got the win. No, I've been following actually. I actually just had to get the MLB pass and back down in Virginia now getting ready for camp. And a lot of the J's games obviously aren't on TV here. So I picked up the MLB pass for the last month of the season. So hopefully they can get in. They've been playing better, like I said. Hopefully they get a big win tonight today. Or is it over now, right? They want to still going. Technically, we're still going. Okay. I saw it five, three and eight. So I didn't know if it was going on still. Yeah, yeah, it's still a little bit to go, but hopefully they got that one in the bag. You mentioned that you're down in Virginia getting ready to go for the season, which we're just talking about before you came on. It's coming quick. Like you got training camp in two weeks and then all of a sudden, like just two weeks later, the regular season starts. Have you wrapped your head around how quick of a process is going to be from breaking camp to the start of the regular season? It's all very truncated this year. Yeah, it's definitely a little different than what we're all used to. They obviously wanted the season to start a little early.

2:02So I think now they wanted the two more games. So the players got no fitness testing and I think we'll take that trade off most times. And no, it's exciting. I think just, you know, you like I think I heard our coach Spencer Carberry talk on on spit and chicklets that I think that's like 10 years ago. I think that's like 10 days, seven, five practices in two games basically for the players that are on the team and then you're basically in the regular season. So I think it's a good thing to just jump right into it. We have a few new faces, so we'll work on getting them up today with everything that we got going on with our team. But our team's a pretty tight and a group and pretty easily able to get everyone acclimated to the team and it's exciting. So Dylan, you talk about a very familiar face in Mr. Ovechkin. There was a lot of, a lot of consternation and contemplation about whether, you know, he would come back to play another NHL season after all he's achieved, including of course the all time goal record, which you were a big part of him achieving.

3:02What was your level of concern or surprise as you know July approached and nobody seemed very sure if he was coming back and how did you react when when you found out he was indeed coming back on a one year deal. Yeah, I mean, you know, it's I think everyone on our team would have said the same thing at the middle and towards the end of last year. Like we really didn't know. I mean, I think we all kind of had a bit of an inclination that he was going to come back once, you know, he didn't want to shake hands with the penguins players and he kind of didn't want to do like a little final goodbye against Columbus in our last game there and and his family wasn't at the game. So I think we kind of got an inclination. Like I said, that he was probably going to be back for another year, but at the same time, like you never know what what happens in the summer and if you really wanted to do it again. But I think you saw some of the moves that our team made and you know the fact that I think we can be a really good team and you know really competitive team this year and obviously he's still a huge part of our team like he led the lead our team and goals and points last year.

4:03So you know, you don't you don't want to lose a guy like that. Obviously, and anybody does for the locker room on the ice and off the ice. It's just you can't really replace that obviously with what he's done in this career and how much he means to the team. So I was very happy when he sent the text that he was coming back and I was kind of came out of nowhere. I think it was a maybe a week or two after the the free agency and just decided that it was the time to come back. So it was awesome to see and the boys were all fired up. That's I was going to say is that did you get a heads up at least? So do you find out what all of us did? What little text in the group chat? No, I know he broke it. Yeah, text from the group chat text in the group chat, but it was on Twitter probably two minutes after that. Actually, I was actually golfing with one of my buddies and and he had texted the group chat maybe five minutes before and then my buddy was on his phone and saw it on Twitter. And then I checked my phone and he had sent the message. So all the all the guys were really fired up and excited to have him back. You know, it's hard to imagine that the Washington couples without the grade eight. So it's exciting to tap him back for another year and I'm not going to not going to say it's going to be his last year because who knows with him?

5:09You're right. You never know when it comes to the grade eight. You mentioned, you know, a couple new players coming to Washington, Alex Duck, Jordan Kyru, what are the expectations for the group for the upcoming season? Yeah, I think we're going to be a really dangerous team. We got, you know, 12 or 13 or even 14, like really good forwards that I've never been a part of a team that's, you know, kind of looked like this on paper to start the season. So obviously it's going to be a little bit different with coming in with high expectations. Like my previous four years in Washington, there hasn't been a ton of expectations like at least heading into the season. And you know, two years ago we had an outstanding regular season and they got kind of stopped by Caroline and the playoffs there. So I think just building on a little bit of that experience and like I said, a little bit different expectations this year. Obviously, you know, there's so there's lots of talk about us and our team around the league and on social media and stuff. So the management's done their job and now it's on the players to go prove, you know, why people are talking about us.

6:09And I think we got a lot of really good players, a lot of high-end offensive talent that I don't think goals are going to be our problem this year. So it's going to be fun to be a part of it. It's going to be, you know, high-flying offense. And I think carbs is going to have us dialed in on the details on the defensive side. It's a lot to look forward to for sure. I mean, you look at sort of the idea that you didn't make the playoffs last season and obviously that was a disappointment given you know, the way you team had performed the year before. I mean, what's the key to having the kind of bounce back season you guys want to have? Yeah, I think it's just, you know, last year at one point in the season, I think we were like 17, 9 and 2, whatever, however many games that is into the season, 28 games into the season. And first place in the division, those things were looking great. And then we just went on a bad stretch and kind of like late November, like throughout December and then kind of led into January. And just we put ourselves too far behind the eight ball. And I think definitely with, you know, the kind of the guys we added, I think there's going to be some more consistency throughout the lineup.

7:10And maybe, you know, some of those games in the dog days of, you know, December January, February when, you know, when your team kind of can't find anything. And then we're going to have those type of game breakers that are going to pay a lot of money to score goals and to kind of create things on their own. And I think, you know, I think we were a team last year where we needed kind of everyone to be, you know, kind of firing on all cylinders to be successful. And it seems like this year, I think, like I said, kind of in those dog days and those tough games, you know, when you're playing on a back to back or whatever, maybe when we got some really, really good players that can kind of, you know, explode for a, you know, a big night that can kind of lead your team to victory throughout this season. And just not having those like long loals of the season or long stretches of the season where you're, you know, your team's not playing well. I think that's going to, that's going to both really well for us. So you're 10 years in the league now, Dylan. I mean, it's been a long time for you. You've had a great career, but the leagues changing. I mean, we just talked about the expanded regular season schedule from 82 to 84. There's a lot of talk that they're going to expand the league in general with a couple more teams down the road here in very short order.

8:15From the current 32 up to as many as 34. I mean, as a veteran player, what do you make of that? Yeah, it's, you know, I think if you ask like majority of NHL players, I would say that everyone thinks it's a good thing. Like more jobs for more players and more guys, I think it's going to be definitely a difference because I know two games doesn't sound like a ton, but, you know, with how the schedule was last year and, you know, some parts of it are this year. I think it's just going to be a different, you know, a different style of, of game a lot of the time, especially like I think we have one month where we have 16 or 17 games in I think it's, I think it's January and, you know, that's a lot of, that's a lot of hockey in a month. So, you know, I think, you know, being around for a while, just kind of learning how your body, you know, works on back to back. You know, what you got to do to be successful for the next game in the next day. And I think our team does a really, our coaching staff does a really, really good job of like preparing us for, you know, each game no matter when, you know, no matter who it's against, no matter if it's afternoon game night game, you know, whatever it is, I think we're, we're really detailed and, and dialed into the process of what we have to do to be successful.

9:23I think we just caught fire a little too late last year like we finished the season on a really, really good run of playing some great hockey and it was unfortunate that we didn't have, you know, two or three more regular choosing games, which, which we do now this year. So, we'll see what happens, but I'm pretty confident our team that is going to be, you know, fire in a lot of the year on all cylinders and offense and, you know, it's going to be fun. They talk about catching fire. There's a kid on your team that caught my attention. You got hot real hot, the end that cool Hudson Lane's brother, how impressed for you when he was able to do when he got to the team last year. Yeah, very impressed. You know, you don't see many, you know, kids, I guess I can say that now, you know, many kids come in with, you know, with that kind of like, or I guess that he had walked into the dressing room. Just kind of the way he danced on the ice like he definitely felt like he deserved an end belong to be there and you can see it in his play like he was making move to the blue line when he was the last guy back. He was carrying the puck up on the ice and the power play like kind of, you know, avoiding the drop pass that sometimes which seems like every team does and just kind of carrying it in himself.

10:24So, I think, you know, his game is only going to continue to grow and obviously still really young and only played that I think was 14 games last year. So, very excited to see what he's got to offer this year. He's an incredible talent. I know him and his brothers, you know, all of them work extremely hard in the off season and, you know, they work on their craft like maybe more than anyone else in the whole league that those guys. So, it's a credit to them and credit to their family and on how hard they work. So, exciting, exciting times ahead for sure. He's going to be a heck of a player and you see what Lane's doing in Montreal, obviously with the talent that he has. So, if cool, can kind of replicate some of that. I think we'll be in a really good spot. Talk about exciting times, Dylan. I was wondering when you're hanging around with fellow NHLers this summer and you're seeing some of the contracts that are getting handed out. We had $18 million players. Now we got a $20 million player for the first time in league history. What's the chatter around the players' association around those deals? You got two years left on your deal? Yeah, I was thinking about it. Yeah, two years left on my deal. Yeah, I mean, it's exciting. I think it's hard not to be excited about it. It seems like I remember maybe four or five years ago when it seemed like I know a lot of guys were getting $4 million. That was like the new $2 million. And now guys are getting $6,000,000 that are, you know, maybe what would have been $3 or $4 million in the past couple of years.

11:44I think it's only a good thing for players, obviously. Everyone's getting paid a little bit more money. You've seen guys sign even the short term deals are worth a little bit more money. The guys that are long term deals are getting money that hasn't been kicked around in the NHL in a long time. So, yeah, it's a good time to be a NHL player and you got to produce and you got to execute. And hopefully you can stick around with a team that wants to have you for a long time. I think everyone wants to win and win Stanley Cups and be a successful player. But then the day, you know, with the money going like the way it is, it's exciting time to be an NHL player for sure. Well, Dan, we appreciate you taking the time. You'll be happy to know that Jay's did win the game. They just Louis Von Schuess. One game back now. One game out maybe half a game. And with the win gives him the tiebreaker to against Cleveland. So that's a big win. It's a big win for the birds. Huge, huge, absolutely. We'll be following the rest of the rest of the season for sure.

12:45Absolutely. We'll be following you and the caps. It should be fun. See you for your guys best of luck and we'll do it again soon. Sounds good. Thanks for having me on, guys. All right, absolutely. Dylan Strom of the Washington. Happen. Hi, this is Dave Roberts heading into summer without a medical emergency kit. That's a risk. Summer colds can linger and getting sick on vacation can derail everything. That's why everyone needs a medical emergency kit. It includes doctor prescribed medications to treat common and serious illnesses. So if you wake up sick at home or on the road, you already have what you need. It's like having an urgent care and pharmacy at home. Say $45 with code blue at urgentcare kit.com slash blue urgent care kit.com slash blue.