Ryan Strome Becoming Trade Candidate

The Anaheim Ducks are tied for first place in the Pacific Division, and veteran center Ryan Strome is having a very difficult time reclaiming his spot in the lineup. Insider Elliotte Friedman notes that the career-long middle-six center will find himself on the radar in the trade market.

Those looking for a middleman are keeping a closer watch on Anaheim’s Ryan Strome. Delayed start to the season, in-and-out of the lineup. Ducks surging, is there a spot for him? If not, there will be interest.

As Friedman suggests, there are plenty of teams in dire need of a center, and with Strome's role disappearing on the Ducks, he will become an intriguing trade candidate.

Strome has been a healthy scratch on numerous occasions since making his season debut on November 11th, and has averaged just 12 minutes of ice time a night, down over four minutes from last season. But in recent games, he's seen just eight minutes of play several times. Strome has one goal and five points in 13 games.

"I don't think this is so much an indictment of Strome as a player as it is that the team got hot when he was still hurt and everybody kind of lined up their spot. So when he came back, it was harder to find his way back into it."

Strome has been a consistent double-digit goal man as a secondary scorer in his career, and, most importantly, says The Friege, "centers are hard to find."

Throughout his career, in 877 games over 13 seasons, he has 167 goals and 485 points.

He has one more season left after this one on his contract, at a $5 million cap hit.