The Washington Capitals want to make it back to the playoffs in the 2023-24 season. They have added a few solid pieces to their roster to help them achieve that goal with Max Pacioretty and Matthew Phillips joining the squad. While the team is expected to make some big changes over the next few seasons, they made a rather surprising move on Friday (Aug. 4) signing forward Tom Wilson to a massive seven-year contract extension worth $6.5 million a season. At first, this deal seemed to make zero sense for the Capitals who will inevitably enter a rebuild when Alex Ovechkin retires. But, after looking at it a little deeper, the reasoning became a little clearer.
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The Capitals’ core of Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and T.J. Oshie are no longer in their prime. They’re all either in the final few years of their career or nearing the end of their prime before they begin to consider retirement. 29-year-old Wilson getting this massive extension locks him up for the rest of his career and likely makes him the next captain of the franchise. The New York Rangers made their toughest player captain in Jacob Trouba, and with this extension, I see the Capitals doing the exact same thing with Wilson. While his contract may seem like a bit of an overpay, the team proved their loyalty to Wilson and gave him what he wanted so he’d be a leader through some upcoming dark times with the Capitals.
Wilson’s Career So Far as a Washington Capital
Wilson is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-handed right wing from Toronto, Canada who has played his entire career with the Capitals. He was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at 16th overall following a solid junior career with the Plymouth Whalers, who are today known as the Flint Firebirds, of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) over three seasons. Through 125 games with the Whalers, he scored 35 goals and added 56 assists for 91 points through 125 games, which comes out to a 0.73 points per game average.
Wilson earned a reputation as a huge hitter that could provide depth production as a middle-six forward throughout his career, and he’s been doing just that with the Capitals. Over 12 seasons, he has played 680 games scoring 128 goals and adding 167 assists for 295 points which comes out to a 0.43 points per game average. He has also racked up a total of 1,299 penalty minutes and has grown to be one of the more hated players by fans of other franchises. While he can get out of line sometimes, he has the ability to be a difference-maker for the Capitals one way or another.
As the likely future captain of the Capitals, more eyes will be on Wilson following his new contract extension. I doubt he’ll settle down the physical side of his game but he may try and work on providing a bit more scoring. His career high in points came during the 2021-22 season when he hit 52. While he has been able to keep his numbers consistent around the 45-50 range, he may be better off pushing to hit the 60-65 mark. With that being said, it isn’t a necessity for him to try and take some of the offensive pressure off the other guys, he is there to be a leader one way or another, and he can do that with his physical game.
Is This Contract a Win or Loss for the Capitals?
Looking at both sides of the argument, I can understand why fans around the league are confused about this contract as Wilson has never surpassed 55 points and is often picked apart for his style of play. With that being said, he is a leader that his teammates love. There is no fear from any of his teammates when he is on the ice because they know if something were to happen, he is going to step up and defend them.
While his leadership abilities may not be visible to fans, it’s pretty clear the team plays better with him around. Wilson only appeared in 33 games last season due to injury, and the Capitals did not finish the year off well at all. The team looked timid and seemed to really miss his presence. While one player doesn’t make a team, his loss was visibly noticeable as the Capitals took a severe dip in play when he was out of the lineup.
That alone proves this contract is a win. While the number might be a little steep, the Capitals are never going to find another player that will make an impact quite like Wilson can. Locking him up and proving their loyalty with a higher number than expected is exactly what they needed to do to keep him around, and it’s well-deserved for the guy who may be leading the Capitals through a few dark seasons of rebuilding.