Dylan Strome, Nick Schmaltz: Why a Change of Scenery Was Beneficial for Both

Way back on November 25 of 2018, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Nick Schmaltz to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini.

Nick Schmaltz was drafted 20th overall by Chicago in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and was playing in a middle-six role on the Blackhawks.  Dylan Strome was selected 3rd overall by Arizona in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and Brendan Perlini was picked 12th overall by Arizona in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Strome and Perlini were both playing in bottom-six roles for Arizona when they weren’t down with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL.

A change of scenery helped Strome and Schmaltz.

Brendan Perlini was later on traded from Chicago to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for defensive prospect Alec Regula.  This article strictly compares Dylan Strome and Nick Schmaltz both before and since November 25, 2018.

I have been stat tracking both Strome and Schmaltz since the trade, and this is my analysis of the numbers.  I am not looking at who won the trade, but rather how a change of scenery helped the careers of Strome and Schmaltz.

Before November 25, 2018:

Dylan Strome:

After being selected third overall in 2015, Dylan Strome made his NHL debut on October 18, 2016 and tallied his first NHL point with an assist in a 7-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators.  Shortly after, Strome was sent back down to the Erie Otters of the OHL.

His first NHL goal came on December 2, 2016 in a 5-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The following season, Strome made the final roster for the Coyotes, but this time was sent down to the Tucson Roadrunners.

After a lot of call-ups and send-downs, Strome was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks and reunited with his former Erie Otters linemate, Alex DeBrincat.

During his time with Arizona, Dylan Strome was much less than what was expected.  Over the course of two-and-a-half seasons with Arizona, Strome played in just 48 games.  In those 48 games, he tallied 7 goals and 9 assists, totaling 16 points and a point per game average of 0.33.

Nick Schmaltz:

Nik Schmaltz made his NHL debut on October 12, 2016 in a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues.  He scored his first NHL goal in a 5-3 win against the Nashville Predators on October 15, 2016.

A few months later, Schmaltz was sent down to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL.  He was eventually called back up to the NHL and has been up since then.  Nick Schmaltz’s play was underwhelming during his first campaign, but over the course of his next year-and-a-half in Chicago, his production picked up.

Despite his decent numbers, Schmaltz was traded to the Arizona Coyotes for a change of scenery.

After being sent down to the AHL and called back up, Nick Schmaltz found his role in Chicago.  During his time with Chicago, Nick Schmaltz played in 162 games.  Schmaltz totaled 29 goals, 62 assists, and 91 points, giving him a point per game average of 0.56.

After November 25, 2018:

Dylan Strome:

Dylan Strome made his Chicago Blackhawks debut in an 8-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on November 27, 2018 in which he tallied a goal and an assist.  Dylan Strome is a Restricted Free Agent with arbitration rights this offseason.

There is some uncertainty about where he will end up for next season or if he will be back in a Blackhawks sweater.  During his time so far in Chicago, Strome has played in 225 games.  In these games, he has 60 goals and 94 assists, totaling 154 points (points per game average of 0.68).  He has a +/- of -19 and a face-off percentage of 48.5%.

The 2021-22 season saw Strome score a career-high 22 goals and post a career-high face-off percentage of 52.3%.  In Chicago, Dylan Strome has seen many ups and downs.  He has been in and out of the lineup and saw low ice time down on the third and fourth lines.

Once Derek King took over, Strome started getting first-line ice time with Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane.  This change led to Dylan Strome producing some of the best numbers of his career.

Nick Schmaltz:

Nick Schmaltz made his Arizona Coyotes debut on November 27, 2018.  Arizona beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3, but Schmaltz was held off the scoresheet.  His first point for the Coyotes came on November 29, 2018 in a 3-0 win against the Nashville Predators in which he was credited with a goal and an assist.

During his time in Arizona, Schmaltz has played in 202 games with 49 goals and 101 assists (150 points).  He is a -5 and has a face-off win percentage of 42.3%.

In the 2021-22 season, Schmaltz picked up career-highs in goals (23), assists (36), and points (59), as well as face-off win percentage (47.7).  This season also saw Nick Schmaltz get first-line time with the Coyotes, which led to him being the most productive he’s ever been.

Head to Head

Dylan Strome and Nick Schmaltz have played against each other 8 times (2 before the trade and 6 after).  In these games, Dylan Strome had 2 goals and 1 assist, and Nick Schmaltz had 2 goals and 5 assists.  In face-offs against each other, Dylan Strome has won 3 (60%), and Nick Schmaltz has won 2 (40%).

Dylan Strome and Nick Schmaltz are very similar players; they are skilled players that are very valuable to their struggling teams.  Both Strome and Schmaltz fit nicely on the first line of their respective teams.

The change of scenery that happened back in 2018 has proven to be extremely helpful to their careers.  Since the trade, they have both seen an increase in ice time as well as their stat production.