The quest to untap the potential of Ryan Strome will continue for the next two years in Edmonton -- unless he gets traded, that is.
The Oilers signed the enigmatic Strome -- who was a restricted free agent -- to a two-year contract Friday with an annual salary cap hit of $3.1 million. The new deal provides a modest bump over his previous two-year deal that averaged $2.5 million per season.
Acquired last offseason from the Islanders in exchange for Jordan Eberle, Strome appeared in all 82 games, but scored only 13 goals and totaled 34 points in 2017-18. Though that marked his second-highest scoring output of his five-year career, it was still largely another disappointing season for Strome, the fifth overall selection in the 2011 draft.
Strome bookended his first season in Edmonton with a disappointing start and a dismal finish, mirroring the team's overall struggles. He scored only one goal in his first 11 games, and then closed out the year with only one point -- an assist -- in his last nine games, and one goal in the final 20 contests of the season.
His best stretches of production came from Feb. 18-25 when Strome scored five goals in five games and Jan. 25 - Feb. 5 when he registered five points in three games. Strome had nine multi-point games last season and also recorded a career-high three game-winning goals.
Drafted by the Islanders after scoring 33 goals and 106 points with Niagara in 2010-11, Strome seemed destined for stardom after establishing career-highs with 17 goals and 50 points with New York as a 21-year-old in 2014-15. Since then, however, Strome has recorded 28, 30 and 34 points.