Coach Barry Trotz said that he expects Backstrom (illness) to play Wednesday against the Rangers, Chuck Gormley of CSN Washington reports. Backstrom was absent from Wednesday's morning skate due to the illness, but it may have just been a measure to afford him as much recovery time as possible before the 8:00 ET start time. It doesn't sound like Backstrom's status will come down to a game-time decision, but unless Trotz meets with the media later in the afternoon, the center's availability likely won't be officially articulated until pregame warmups. Fantasy owners will want to check back in on Backstrom prior to Wednesday's puck drop.