TWO RYAN'S IN SEARCH OF A FRESH START YET AGAIN
Ryan Strome with the Edmonton Oilers (left) & Ryan Spooner with the New York Rangers (right).
Harper Cotie
On Friday (November 16th, 2018), the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers completed a one-for-one swap, as Peter Chiarelli and the Oilers sent Ryan Strome to Jeff Gorton’s Rangers, in exchange for Ryan Spooner. Not only do these two forwards share the same name, but they each have only one goal and one helper so far this season.
This isn’t the first time that these two players are searching for a fresh start. In June 2017, Strome was dealt by his draft team, the New York Islanders to Edmonton, in exchange for five-time, 20 goal-scorer Jordan Eberle. A deal that clearly didn’t work out for the Oilers, who saw Eberle pot 25 goals and 59 points in 81 games with the Islanders last season. While Strome played a full 82 games, but only scored 13 times and finished with 34 points. However, he still received a two-year extension this summer by the Oilers, at a cap hit of $3.1 million.
The same goes for Ryan Spooner. On February 25th, the Ottawa native was dealt by the Boston Bruins to the New York Rangers, along with forward Matt Beleskey, prospect Ryan Lindgren, a 2018 first-rounder and a 2019 seventh-rounder, in exchange for forward Rick Nash. A rental pick-up for the Bruins upcoming playoff run last season. Spooner was a big part of this deal, heading back to the rebuilding Rangers, and he proved to be exactly that.
Spooner was one of the hottest players in the NHL down the final stretch last season, putting up 16 points in the Rangers final 20 games. With that kind of production, it was a no-brainer for Jeff Gorton to ink Spooner to a two-year extension, at a cap hit of $4 million. Here we are a quarter of the way through the 2018-19 NHL season, and both players are off to new teams, looking for fresh starts for the third time in their careers.
At 25 years old, Strome will get a good opportunity to be a key contributor for the young, rebuilding New York Rangers. A team who struggled at the beginning of the season, but have been turning heads as of late, with a 6-3-1 record in their last 10, currently sitting in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. Strome can make his Rangers debut tonight against the Florida Panthers.
Spooner on the other hand gives the Oilers options, with his ability to play in the middle and on the wing. He has the ability to score goals, which have been hard to come by so far this season for the Oilers, unless your name is Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Spooner will be reunited with former Bruins teammate Milan Lucic, and can make his Oilers debut on Sunday, when they face the Golden-Knights.
Maybe the saying, “third time’s the charm” will apply to both of these players.
