Blackhawks' DeBrincat reunited with old pal Strome
When Alex DeBrincat's phone rang late Sunday night, he noticed good friend Dylan Strome was on the other line.
What he heard next blew him away.
"I didn't really believe him at first," DeBrincat said.
But what Strome was saying was true - the two former Erie Otters teammates were about to be reunited as Chicago Blackhawks after GM Stan Bowman sent Nick Schmaltz to Arizona for Strome and Brendan Perlini.
"He's one of my best friends," Strome said after practicing at MB Ice Arena on Monday, "so it's nice to see him again (and) see a familiar face around the rink. We had a lot of chemistry back in junior - a lot of good times."
Not only were DeBrincat and Strome teammates from 2014-17, but they lived with the same Billet family and played on the same line. They combined for a whopping 271 goals during those three seasons.
"He's a really smart player," DeBrincat said. "(He) kind of knew where I was going to be, and we had that chemistry where we could move around the zone and eventually find a spot to shoot."
Arizona selected Strome with the third overall pick of the 2015 draft, and DeBrincat went to the Hawks with the 39th pick in 2016. Strome spent most of last season in the AHL, piling up 53 points (22 goals) in 50 games. He has 7 goals and 9 assists in 48 NHL games across parts of three seasons.
"Obviously I wanted to be a little more productive," Strome said. "I don't think that's a surprise to anyone. I want to put up numbers and help whatever team I'm on win."
Strome said he worked on his skating over the summer and that he feels "a lot stronger and faster on the ice."
Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton put Strome with Chris Kunitz and Marcus Kruger at practice Monday, but remember that Strome barely made it to MB Ice Arena on time after catching a 5:45 a.m. flight out of Arizona. At some point, it seems like Hawks fans will see Strome and DeBrincat on the same line together.
And if Patrick Kane were to be added at some point? Well, that works for Strome.
"That would be a pretty good line," he said. "Obviously they're two unbelievably skilled players and Kane's been doing it for a long time in this league. I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow and the upcoming weeks, but looking forward to whatever's thrown at me.
"I'm excited to be a Blackhawk."
You again!
Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman and Arizona GM John Chayka have made four trades over the past 17 months:
Niklas Hjalmarsson for Connor Murphy; Richard Panik for Anthony Duclair; Vinnie Hinostroza, Jordan Oesterle and Marian Hossa for Marcus Kruger, three other players and a fifth-round pick; and Nick Schmaltz for Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini.
Bowman said there's no rhyme or reason to why he keeps making deals with Chayka.
"Looking back on it, we did the deal last year for Panik and Duclair and that was sort of a one-for-one deal," he said. "And then the Hossa deal was sort of a cap space (move). There weren't many teams in the league that could absorb that.
"I think its really circumstantial. I mean, I have a good relationship with John, but we don't have a history together. I met him the day he got the job. I didn't know him before that."
First-round exodus:
The Blackhawks no longer have any of their first-round picks from 2010-14. Gone are Mark McNeill (2010), Phillip Danault (2011), Teuvo Teravainen (2012), Ryan Hartman (2013) and Nick Schmaltz (2014).
Danault is a top-six center in Montreal, Teravainen put together a 23-goal, 41-assist last season in Carolina, and Hartman is on pace for 20 goals this season for Nashville. McNeill has appeared in just two NHL games and is currently playing for the AHL's Providence Bruins.
Murphy practices:
Defenseman Connor Murphy participated in practice for the first time this season Monday. Out with a back injury that was discovered when training camp began, Murphy is expected to return in a week or two. Murphy said he felt some soreness in the month leading up to camp, and it was the Hawks' trainers who suggested getting an MRI to make sure nothing was wrong.
"It wasn't one incident specifically," Murphy said. "It was over a couple week span. I felt something sore. I was actually working out and skating with it, and didn't feel like it was that big of a deal and then I found that there was an injured spot there. …
"Unfortunately some things that feel like small injuries end up taking longer to heal than you'd want to."
Scouting report
Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 7 p.m. at United Center
TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: Vegas, which reached the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season, limped out of the gates with a 9-12-1 start but has won three straight, including back-to-back shutouts vs. Calgary and San Jose. "We're playing with a lot of pace right now, and that seems to frustrate teams," Reilly Smith told reporters after the Golden Knights' 6-0 win over the Sharks Saturday. … Jonathan Marchessault (10G, 10A) and William Karlsson (6G, 12A) are Vegas' leading scorers. Karlsson scored 43 goals last season. … Marc-Andre Fleury ranks 25th in save percentage (. 913), but is eighth with a 2.33 goals-against average. … The Knights own the sixth-best penalty kill (82.4 percent).
Next: Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place, 7 p.m. Thursday<span title="charref:8"></span>
- John Dietz