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Former Rangers center traded to Flames ahead of NHL deadline
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- Former Rangers center traded to Flames ahead of NHL deadline
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers were relatively quiet ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday, but a familiar face was on the move. The Anaheim Ducks dealt former Rangers center Ryan Strome to the Calgary Flames at the buzzer, with the teams announcing the trade two hours after the 3 p.m. ET cutoff.
Strome is in year four of a five-year, $25 million contract signed with the Ducks during the 2022 offseason. Prior to his tenure in Anaheim, Strome spent four seasons with the Rangers and recorded 71 goals and 195 points with a plus-40 rating in 263 games.
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Sitting atop the Pacific Division with 73 points, Anaheim (35-24-3) bolstered its blue line ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, acquiring long-time Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson in a blockbuster deal with New York's division rival early Friday morning.
"I got another Strome brother," joked Carlson, a teammate of Ryan's younger brother, Dylan, over the course of four seasons in Washington. "Going from Strome to Strome, which is great."
But the 36-year-old spoke too soon.
After recording at least 10 goals and 40 points in six consecutive seasons, Strome's production nosedived in 2025-26. Strome recorded three goals and nine points in 33 games with Anaheim this season and averaged just 12:10 TOI — the lowest of his 13-year NHL career. He missed 28 games due to an upper-body injury, illness, and healthy scratches.
Strome returns to the province of Alberta after playing 100 games with the Edmonton Oilers from 2017 to 2018, when he was traded to the Rangers. He joins a Flames squad tied with the St. Louis Blues for the second-worst record in the League at 55 points (24-30-7). Strome could help fill in down the middle after Calgary sent top-line center Nazem Kadri back to the Colorado Avalanche before the deadline.
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"Excited for this new opportunity for myself and my family. Can't wait to get started," the Mississauga, Ontario native said in a video to Flames fans. "As a Canadian boy, I know what it means to play in a Canadian city. I've done it before, and excited to get back to the province of Alberta and play hard for you guys every night."
Former Rangers forward Ryan Strome joins Flames in 3rd career trade
Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Strome is no stranger to switching sides via trade. This is the third time he was traded, although the 32-year-old never moved before on deadline day.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, Strome began his career in New York with the Islanders , notching 41 goals and 126 points in 258 games from 2013 to 2017. The Islanders shipped him to the Oilers for Jordan Eberle during the summer of 2017. One season later, the Oilers sent him to the Rangers for Ryan Spooner in November 2018.
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Strome departed for Anaheim in free agency after enjoying some of his best NHL seasons with the Rangers. He recorded a career-high 59 points in 2019-20 and tallied a career-high 21 goals in 2021-22, helping New York reach the playoffs in both seasons. He scored 39 goals and 132 points with a minus-58 rating in 276 games with the Ducks.
The Flames acquired Strome for a 2027 seventh-round pick. He is under contract through 2026-27 with a cap hit of $5 million annually.
Strome will join another former Blueshirt in Calgary. The Rangers traded former first-round pick Brennan Othmann (No. 16 overall 2021) to the Flames on Friday in exchange for 2024 second-round pick Jacob Battaglia.
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