The Washington Capitals have made a major move, signing winger Tom Wilson to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract extension. It will begin during the 2024-25 season.
WILLY'S HERE TO STAY‼️
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 4, 2023
The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Tom Wilson to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract extension beginning with the 2024-25 season.
Full Details: https://t.co/cAjzxmQvnf#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/ktdvx4umm8
Wilson was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the season, but now the Capitals have locked him up for several years. With this move, Wilson will continue to be a big part of the Capitals’ roster for many years to come.
Wilson’s 2022-23 Season
Wilson’s 2022-23 season was a bit of a frustrating one, as he missed significant time due to injury. However, he was also quite effective when healthy, as he posted 13 goals to go along with 22 points in just 33 games played. He also continued to make a major difference with his physicality, as he threw a whopping 97 hits. Overall, it was a strong but short season for the 29-year-old forward. Now he will be aiming to build off of it during the 2023-24 season.
A major reason why the Capitals struggled this past season was due to Wilson missing a lot of time. He is a major difference-maker on their roster, as he not only contributes offensively but makes them far more difficult to go up against due to his physicality and toughness.
Wilson’s Long-Term Fit With Capitals Is Clear
There is no question that the Capitals understand how crucial of a part Wilson is to their roster after inking him to this massive extension. Although he did come up in some trade speculation during the summer, the Capitals preferred to keep him around, and they ultimately had to. Players like Wilson are quite the rarity, as his skill and toughness make him the ultimate power forward.
Related: 2023 NHL Free Agency Tracker
The Capitals also showed confidence in Wilson by signing him for seven years. They see him as a long-term part of their top six, and he will likely continue to have this role for many years. He will remain a key contributor to their power play, as his net-front presence ability has improved as his career progressed.
Wilson should also be a big leader for their club during the duration of this deal. He has already played 10 seasons as a Capitals, so he has plenty of experience. Perhaps when Alex Ovechkin retires later down the road, Wilson could even garner some consideration for the captaincy. At a minimum, the 2012 first-round pick should be a long-term alternate captain for them.
Capitals Make the Right Move With Wilson
Given his importance to the club, the Capitals needed to find a way to sign Wilson to an extension. It would have been quite challenging for them to find a replacement for him if they lost him through free agency next summer, but now they do not need to worry about that.
In the end, the $6.5 million cap hit may be a bit steep for some, but Wilson would have also likely commanded that on the free-agent market. It will be interesting to see how well this deal ages for both the team and the player, but on paper, it looks like a solid move for both parties.
