ANAHEIM, Calif. – There were only two moves from the Anaheim Ducks in the trade deadline season. One was a big time acquisition of defenseman John Carlson on Thursday night, and the other a farewell to a good soldier that lost his spot just under the deadline wire on Friday.
After four seasons in Orange County, veteran forward Ryan Strome was sent to the Calgary Flames for a 2027 seventh-round pick. The deal was announced just after the noon Pacific deadline.
“Ryan is an ultimate professional. He showed a lot of character,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said on a media call. “From my perspective, we looked at it to give Ryan an opportunity to go to a team where he's gonna be able to play and contribute to that team in a meaningful way. As a player, I've been in his chair, and I understand exactly where he's coming from. It's important to play, and not sit out, even though we're a team that's in a playoff push and run, from his perspective and from his family's perspectives, it's important that he keep continuing and have the opportunity to play.”
Strome had been a veteran leader and key contributor through some lean seasons in Anaheim with three consecutive 41-point seasons. He was a beloved member of the locker room and community with a boisterous personality that will surely grace a television broadcast when his career wraps up.
Ryan Strome on the “Pension Line” and who’s next to take over as team DJ?
— Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) October 3, 2025
🎥 Full media session with Mason McTavish on Jackson LaCombe and quick camp ramp-up and Strome on his Pacific Air Show beach flight at @SportingTrib YouTube: https://t.co/56YKY7UcuU#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/PIRfxjMLoV
However, this season has been nothing short of tough for the 32-year-old.
On the eve of the season, Strome went out with an upper-body injury. It was a blessing in disguise for the Ducks, as rookie Beckett Sennecke stepped into his top-six role on opening night and blossomed into a rising star, but for Strome, it was a setback he could never fully return from.
Strome missed 16 games, but once healthy, he was unable to solidify his spot in the bottom-six, including a run of healthy scratches. Strome was scratched in six straight games before playing in Wednesday’s win over the Islanders and earning an assist in his final game as a Duck.
“In this instance, he got injured at the start (of the season), and ended up being six weeks out of the lineup,” Verbeek said. “Then, obviously, the team, we were winning, and it's difficult for any player to kind of come into that scenario and try and carve out a role. And so, Ryan was kind of, a lot of it, he was chasing it. He was in a tough position, and being healthy and being scratched from time to time. It's certainly not the best for the player. You know, at times, it gives us depth, but I thought for Ryan, he's been just an outstanding person and like I said, great character.”
After this season, Strome has one year left on a five-year, $25 million contract, which opens up $5 million of crucial cap space heading into a summer where the Ducks need to sign franchise cornerstones in Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, among others.
Strome is in his 13th NHL season with stops with the New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks and now Calgary Flames.