New York Islanders: What Version of Ryan Strome Are We Getting

Will the real Ryan Strome please stand up? New York Islanders fans would really like to know who you actually are.

New York Islanders forward Ryan Strome is absolutely a player of two seasons. The first being his breakout 2014-15 season with 50 points. He followed that up with a terrible 2015-16 season netting 28 points.

Isles fans, and management want to know: Are you the man who inspired us in 2014-15, or are you the player who was sent down to the AHL for two weeks in 2015-16?

That’s why he was tended that two-year deal this offseason. The deal pays out $5 million and says: “Show me you’re worth more”.

So with six games now in the 2016-17 season in the books, can we attempt to figure out what we’re getting out of Strome? Or at the very least what we might get out of him for the remainder of the season?

What Do The Numbers Say?

What can we extract from Strome’s opening six games over his first two campaigns and how does that compare to this season so far? Is there something the numbers are saying in these opening few contests?

The first glaring comparison is that over the opening six games from 2014-15 to this season, Strome has the same number of points; four.

But the difference is in how Strome accumulated these points. In 2014-15 his four points were all assists. The next year he put one in the net with another three assists. That one goal coming on the power play.

This season Strome is two-and-two, with another powerplay goal to open the season. His lone goal standing as the only evidence the Islanders were in the game against the Capitals. That and Greiss stopping 26 of 28 shots.

So can we derive anything from his form to suggest what we might be getting from Strome this season?

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Can the Real Strome Please Stan Up?

There’s reason to believe that were seeing the Strome from 2014-15. His production is one thing, but Strome seems more engaged than last season.

He’s shooting more, thank God. It was a shortfall of his 2015-16 season, where he lost 47 over the course of a season. So far, after just six games Strome has 11 shots on net. Coincidence or not, in both games where he’s shot more often he’s scored.

Almost like the more shots on net a player gets, the more likely he’s going to score.

His increased penchant for shooting is also having a positive effect on his Corsi rating. His 5v5 Corsi-For is floating at 51.5%, which ranks him at the top of the Islanders forward group.

It could just be that he’s got a new lease on life. Maybe the combination of a “show-me” contract and putting faith in his abilities (oh and putting him back at center).

Next: We See the Isles Past in Their Future

Do we know what version of Ryan Strome we have yet? No. Not yet anyways. But things seem to be trending in the right direction. If he keeps up, we might just get the 2014-15 version of Ryan Strome back.