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

Episode Date: September 3, 2026

Washington Capitals forward Dylan Strome joined OverDrive to discuss his role on the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin returning to the team and his impact to the roster, the additions of Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou to the roster, the 84-game season landscape, Cole Hutson leading the blue line, the spike of contracts in the NHL and more.

Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on Internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. Joining us now here on Overdrive, once again, he's always a treat to have on the show. Dylan Strom forward for the Washington Capitals. Go on. Dylan, has your summer been? Hey, guys, it's going great.

I know you're a big J's fan. You've been following along? What's going on with the Blue Jace here? 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 3-0.

It was kind of a boring game, but they got the win. No, I'm following. I actually just had to get the MLB pass. I'm back down in Virginia now getting ready for camp. And a lot of the Jay'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. can get in. They've been playing better, like I said.

So hopefully they get a big win today. Or is it over now, right? They won. Still going. Technically, we're still going. Okay. I saw it five, three and the 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,

season starts. Like, have you wrapped your head around how quick of a process it's 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. So I think, no, 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, like, I think I heard our coach Spencer Carberry talk on, on spit and chicklets that, I think that's like 10 days, 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. Just jump right into it.

We have a few new faces, so we'll work on getting them up to date with everything that we got going on with our team. But our team's a pretty tight-knit 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 consternation and contemplation about whether 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. What was your level of, you know, concern or surprise as, you know, July approached and nobody seemed very sure if he was coming back, and how did you react 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, you know, 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, you never know what happens in the summer and if you really wanted to do it again. But I think he 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 our team in goals and points last year. So, you know, you don't want to lose a guy like that, obviously. And what he 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 his career and how much he means to the team. I was very happy when he sent the text that he was coming back and it kind of came out of nowhere. I think it was maybe a week or two after 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.

Well, that's I was going to say. Did you get a heads up at least? Did you find out what all of us did, but a little text in the group chat? No, how he broke it? Yeah, texting the group chat, but it was on Twitter probably two minutes after that. actually, I was actually golfing with one of my buddies, 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 guys were really fired up and excited to have him back.

You know, it's hard to imagine that the Washington Capitals without the Great Eight. So it's exciting to have him back for another year, and I'm not going to say it's going to be his last year because who knows with him. You're right. You never know when it comes to the Great Eight. You mentioned, you know, a couple new players coming to Washington, Alex Duk, Jordan Cairo. 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, you know, a ton of expectations. at least heading into the season. And, you know, two years ago we had an outstanding regular season and they got, you know, kind of stopped by Carolina in 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 of, obviously,

you know, 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. And I think, you know, we've 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's going to be high-flying offense. I think Carbs is going to have us dialed in on the details on the defensive side.

And it's a lot to look forward to for sure. I mean, when you look at sort of the idea that you didn't make the playoffs last season, and obviously that was a disappointment given the way your 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 in 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, you know, 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. and 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, I think we're going to have those type of game breakers that are getting paid a lot of money to score goals and to, you know, kind of create things on their own. And I think, you know, I think we were a team last year where we need to 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, 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, you know, throughout the season. I think just not having those like long lulls of the season or long stretches of the season where your, you know, your team's not playing well.

I think that's going to, that's going to bode 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 league's 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 explain. expand the league in general with a couple more teams down the road here in very short order

from from the current 32 up to as many as 34 I mean as a veteran player what do you make of that yeah it's um you know I think if you ask like majority of the nchel players I would say everyone thinks is a good thing like more jobs for for more players and more guys I think it's going to be definitely a different season I know two games doesn't sound like a ton but you know, with how crammed 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 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 January.

And, you know, that's a lot of hockey in a month. So, you know, I think, you know, being around for a while, just, you know, kind of learning how your body, you know, works on back-to-backs and know what you've got to do to be successful for the next game and the next day. And I think our team does a really, our coaching staff does a really, really, really good job of preparing us for, you know, each game, no matter when, no matter who it's against, no matter if it's afternoon game, night game, you know, whatever it is, I think we're really detailed and dialed into the process of what we have to do to be successful. And I 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 season games, which we do now this year. So we'll see what happens. But I'm pretty confident in our team that is going to be, you know, firing a lot of the year on, on, all cylinders on offense and, you know, it's going to be fun. You're talking about catching fire. There's a kid on your team that caught my attention who got hot, real hot at the end, that Cole Hudson, Lane's brother, how impressed for you what 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 aura, I guess that he had walking into the dressing room. Just kind of the way he danced on the ice. like he definitely felt like he deserved and belonged to be there. And you could see it in his play.

Like he was making moves with 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 avoiding the drop pass at sometimes, which seems like every team does and just kind of carrying it in himself. So I think, you know, his game is only going to continue to grow and obviously he's still really young and only played, I think it was 14 games last year. So very excited to see what he's got to offer this year. He's incredible talent.

I know him and his brothers, you know, all of them work extremely hard in the offseason. And, you know, they work on their craft, like, like maybe more than anyone else in the whole league, those guys. So it's credit to them and credit to their family on how hard they work. So 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 Cole 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've 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?

I'm thinking about it. Yeah, two years left on my deal. Yeah, I mean, it's exciting. Like, 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 a lot of guys were getting $4 million. That was like the new $2 million. and now guys are getting 6 to 7 million that are, you know,

maybe what would have been 3 or 4 million in the past couple years. So, you know, I think it's only a good thing for players, obviously. Everyone's getting paid a little bit more money. You've seen guys sign, you know, even the short-term deals are worth a little bit more money. The guys that are long-term deals, you know, are getting, you know, money that hasn't been kicked around in the NHL in a long time. So, yeah, it's a good time to be an NHL player, and you've 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. And I think everyone wants to win and win Stanley Cups and be a successful player. But at the end of 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 to take the time. You'll be happy to know the Jays did win the game. They just, Louis Vuitton. It's huge.

Okay, one game back now, one game out, maybe half a game out. Half a game behind Cleveland now. And with the win, it gives him the tiebreaker too against Cleveland. So that's a big win. It's a big win for the birds. Huge. Huge. Huge.

Huge. We'll be following the rest of the season for sure. Absolutely. We'll be following you and the caps. It should be a fun season for you 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 Capitals. I-Hart Radio is throwing it back. 20s, the decade. To the days of huge hits. And unforgettable items. A non-stop stream of the biggest and best.

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