John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images

Coming off a disappointing defeat to the Calgary Flames on Saturday, the Washington Capitals take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight in the final game of a season-long road trip. Forwards Garnet Hathaway and Dylan Strome will reach significant milestones in their NHL careers when they take the ice come puck drop.

Hathaway will be skating in his 400th career NHL game, not a bad mark for a player who was signed as an undrafted free agent. While he grew up in Kennebunkport, Maine, Hathaway was born in Naples, Florida; among all 18 players/skaters born in the Sunshine State, Hathaway ranks fifth (104) in Points (behind Shayne Gostisbehere, Quinn Hughes, Jakob Chychrun, and Jack Hughes, respectively, third (400) in Games Played (behind Dan Hinote’s 503 and Gostisbehere’s 485), and first in Penalty Minutes (456).

“…I’ve had a lot of help along the way”, Hathaway said earlier today, “Lot of great teammates, lot of coaches, so to be able to share with some family, hopefully soon, enjoy the milestone. But we’ll all feel better with a win. As a player, as growth as a player, I want to continue to improve as a player. I played Game 1, I didn’t think ‘let’s play 400’, but I want as many as possible, and I just want to keep improving…”

“They’re a team that, especially in their building, will play well – they’ll come out fast. We have to at least match that and try and overcome it.”@GarnetHathaway on Rinkside Update in Edmonton ahead of his 400th career game tonight.#CapsOilers | @MedStarHealth pic.twitter.com/6nluhpnv38

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 5, 2022

Hathaway, who initially signed as a free agent with the Flames organization in 2015, spent parts of four seasons in Calgary, playing in 175 games, while establishing himself as a solid fourth-line winger.

The Capitals signed him to a four-year deal in free agency in the summer of 2019 and has been a stalwart on the fourth-line. He has spent 224 games in a Caps sweater, and established a career-high offensively last season, scoring 14 Goals, and 26 Points in 76 Games Played. In 26 Games Played this season, Hathaway has two goals and four points.

Strome, meanwhile, will be skating in his 300th NHL contest, with the majority of those 300 games coming as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks for four season. Initially the third overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by Arizona (with whom he played just 48 game), Strome was signed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal after not receiving a qualifying offer from Chicago at the conclusion of last season; this coming on the heels of a career-high 22 Goals and 48 Points in 69 Games Played.

Through 26 Games Played as a member of the Caps, Strome has recorded 19 Points; his Points rank second on the team behind only Alex Ovechkin, and his 14 helpers are tied for the team-lead. He has averaged 17:05 of ice time a night for Head Coach Peter Laviolette, with minsu-9 rating, a 51.5% Corsi For Percentage, and has won 47.8% of his Faceoffs.

That said, however, the team’s netminders have recorded a .875 Save Percentage when Strome is on the ice at even-strength, although have a .913 Save Percentage when Strome is playing 5v5.

Puck drop between the Capitals and Oilers is 8:30 ET.

CAPS TODAY: Garnet Hathaway (400 career games) and Dylan Strome (300 career games) are each expected to reach milestone game marks tonight against Edmonton. More info and #Caps clips at https://t.co/HecIC0Fa5z pic.twitter.com/sKFTYYPeVH

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 5, 2022

By Michael Fleetwood