No Shocking!!Who’s the backbone? Ranking Washington Capitals’ MVPs so far

Who’s the Backbone? Ranking the Washington Capitals’ MVPs So Far

After analyzing the most streaky players, let’s focus on the key contributors who have truly been the backbone of the team.

Dylan Strome
Although we didn’t mention Alex Ovechkin earlier—this isn’t out of disrespect, but because he’s currently sidelined—we now turn to the players who have stepped up in his absence. First up is Dylan Strome, who has been leading the Capitals with 34 points through 25 games. This includes a team-high 26 assists and 8 goals. Strome also boasts an impressive plus/minus of +17 and averages 17:34 minutes of ice time per game.

Strome has excelled in the faceoff circle, winning 55.3% of his draws. His skating speed is noteworthy, covering a total distance of 71.51 miles—well above the league average for both forwards and defensemen. His shooting stats are also strong: he has 39 shots on goal (61st percentile) and a shooting percentage of 20.5%, which ranks in the 90th percentile compared to the league average of 12.7%. His eight goals are also significantly above the league average.

Connor McMichael
Connor McMichael has been a pleasant surprise, tallying 24 points in 25 games—well beyond expectations. This includes 14 goals and 10 assists, along with a +9 rating and an average of 17:42 minutes of ice time per game. Despite a tough 2-1 overtime loss to the Sharks, the Capitals are on a five-game point streak and are back in the top spot of the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference.

As the team approaches the one-third mark of the season, Washington leads the NHL in goals per game (4.08) and ranks eighth in goals against (2.84). Compared to last season, they’ve shown improvement across the board, and McMichael’s breakout performance is a big reason why.

Logan Thompson
Since joining the Capitals, Logan Thompson has been stellar in net. Despite the loss to the Sharks, Thompson holds a remarkable 10-1-2 record, with a 2.52 goals against average and a .913 save percentage, proving to be a key piece in the Capitals’ success this season.