Who is the Player to Watch against the Washington Capitals?

After consecutive wins on Sunday and Monday night combined with some losses by other teams, the New York Rangers are officially back in playoff position. As of Wednesday morning, the Blueshirts hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference; they are tied in points with the Detroit Red Wings but have the regulation wins tiebreaker. So what's next?

Wednesday night — March 5th — the Rangers looks to continue its winning ways against one of the best teams in the NHL, the Washington Capitals. More than that, Washington (39-14-8) is currently first in the Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division with 86 points.

However, the Rangers are on a role and this is the Blueshirts' first and only matchup of the season hosting the Capitals at Madison Square Garden.

All of these facts — Dylan Strome is obviously the opposing team's player to watch ahead of the Wednesday night contest.

Dylan Strome

Strome, a 27-year-old Ontario, Canada native, is also on a roll of his own. He has recorded five points over his past five games, including one assist in Washington's most recent matchup against Ottawa.

The 6'3", 200 pound center is also the team-leader so far for the 2024-25 season. He is eight points ahead of the second-leading scorer — Pierre-Luc Dubois — with Strome boasting 60 points across 18 goals and 42 assists.

Strome was signed as a free agent by Washington, July 14, 2022 with a one-year, $3.5 million contract and most recently signed five-year contract with Washington, February 3, 2023.

This occasion only took Strome 52 games with the Capitals, when he had 11 goals and 25 assists, to earn the previously mentioned five-year contract with an average annual value of $5 million, which he signed Feb. 3, 2023. He was originally selected as the No. 3 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes and now boasts eight years of experience in the NHL.

How to Tune In

Blueshirt fans looking to watch the high-stakes matchup and the Rangers attempt to stop Strome will have to tune in to TNT, Fubo or Max. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST.