2019-20 New York Rangers report card: Ryan Strome

Ryan Strome has made the most of his change of scenery with the New York Rangers

We continue our series of New York Rangers report cards. Today we review the 2019-20 season for Ryan Strome

Ryan Strome: Grade B+

When the New York Rangers acquired Ryan Strome from the Edmonton Oilers in the early goings of the 2018-19 season, it was viewed as an under the radar trade. Swapped for Ryan Spooner with salary cap implications evened out, it was a change of scenery deal for both underperforming forwards. The Rangers won this trade hands down as Spooner was traded by the Oilers and then bought out by the Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, Strome has done nothing but make the most of his opportunity on Broadway.

His season

Ryan Strome was the second line center back-up plan headed into the 2019-20 season. Even coming off a career high in goals (19) in the 2018-19 season, he was a safety net for the Rangers youth movement. Filip Chytil, expected to start the season on the second line, was instead assigned to Hartford.  Brett Howden and Lias Andersson were both unable to perform at the level necessary for the role. Strome was called upon, found a chemistry with All-Star left winger Artemi Panarin and had a career year.

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Over the season, entrusted with a top six role, Strome would receive the most ice-time of his career. His 15 goals and 41 points at even strength were both the third highest totals on the team, behind only Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. Given greater power play (PP) duties, he responded with 17 PP points, fourth highest on the team and was relied upon as one of the teams top four forwards on the penalty kill. On a bad possession team his Corsi-for%, relative to the rest of the team, was a +3.2, good for sixth best on the team. This in part was because he received 53% offensive zone starts to maximize on the offensive potential on his left wing.

That Strome was able to exceed expectations, performing at a high level and with the Rangers youth at center not yet ready, its no surprise that team and player came to a new contract agreement during the off-season. Strome was rewarded with a two year deal, worth an annual average salary of $4.5 million that will keep the center on Broadway through the 2022-23 season.

The Numbers

Games: 70
Goals: 18
Assists: 41
Points: 59
PIMs: 48
Blocked Shots: 32
Hits: 45
ATOI: 19:35
Faceoff percentage: 47.5%
Corsi-for:  48.8%

Why the Grade?

Stromne had a career year offensively, but was not as proficient in the other area’s of the game. Not an overtly physical player, he led the team with 23 minors, including 19 stick fouls. His faceoff winning percentage was a pedestrian 47.5% and ranked fourth on the team among centers having taken 100 or more draws. He also recorded twice as many giveaways as takeaways.

While he showed great chemistry with Panarin, their on ice relationship was not a completely two way street. The pair benefited from playing together, but Strome was by far the more obvious beneficiary of the two. Panarin shared the scoresheet on 57.6% of Strome’s 59 points on the season, yet Strome was only a part of 35.7% of Panarin’s 95 points. Additionally, both Strome and Panarin’s defensive statistics were buoyed by having Jesper Fast on their right wing. When the trio was on the ice together, they surrendered only 11 even strength goals in 454 minutes. Conversely, without Fast, Strome and Panarin were on the ice for 21 goals against in just 290 minutes.

Expectations

Ryan Strome exceeded all expectation during the 2019-20 season, raising the bar for himself headed into the new season. He will be out to prove that all he needed was the confidence from a coach to give him top six ice time to produce like a top six player. However, the player should not be held to expectations of a repeat performance.

The New York Rangers offensive explosion was due in part to the career years from several of their top players, Strome included. Its not realistic for the team to expect its players to continually record career high seasons. Instead it will have to rely on more depth scoring as the career highs regress to align more with the career averages. That said, expectations for Strome should fall somewhere near the 20 goal and 50 point mark (prorated for the shortened season).