Dylan Strome speaks out on being matched up against $2,925,000 Sharks center

Washington Capitals forward Dylan Strome on Saturday shared his thoughts on playing against San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in last year’s NHL draft.

Celebrini scored the Sharks’ only goal in the third period, increasing his season tally to 21 goals and 50 points in 56 games. He is the second rookie this season to reach 50 points.

Strome, who scored the opening goal in the Capitals’ 5-1 win over the Sharks, said about Celebrini after their matchup (per William Espy):

"He's a heck of a hockey player. He beat me on the first three draws, like it was my first game in the league. Makes good plays all over the ice, good defensively. There's a reason why he went number one. I expect him to be around a long time and he's a heck of a player."

Celebrini is signed to a three-year, $2.925 million contract with a $975,000 cap hit per season. His rookie deal runs through 2026-27.

Dylan Strome and Capitals defeat Sharks as captain Ovechkin nears goal record

The Washington Capitals secured an impressive win on Saturday as captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 887th career goal. With this goal, he moved eight goals away from Wayne Gretzky’s record.

Dylan Strome opened the scoring at 7:33 of the first period. Ovechkin passed from the right boards, and Strome finished with a wrist shot. Aliaksei Protas made it 2-0 at 17:26, finding a loose puck and scoring with a backhand. Taylor Raddysh extended the lead to 3-0 at 18:55 with a wrist shot from the right circle.

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery praised the team’s fast start but noted struggles in the second period.

"Second period, I thought we got pushed a little bit. Started to get a little careless in the second," Carbery said (per NHL.com). "The first period, we knew in this building, we needed to have a fast start, and that's exactly what we did."

Celebrini scored the Sharks' only goal at 6:19 of the third period, but Trevor van Riemsdyk responded 40 seconds later. Ovechkin sealed the win at 10:54, deflecting Martin Fehervary’s shot for a 5-1 lead.

With this win, the Capitals improved to 23-8-2 on the road. The season series is now tied 1-1 between the Sharks and Capitals. The Sharks previously defeated the Capitals 2-1 on Dec 3.

Dylan Strome and the Capitals will face the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.