Capitals Re-sign Tom Wilson to Six-Year Contract Worth $31 Million

Photo: 106.7 The Fan

The Washington Capitals announced on Friday that they have re-signed forward Tom Wilson to a six-year contract worth $31 million ($5.17 million AAV). Wilson, 24, became a restricted agent on July 1 and was eligible for salary arbitration but did not file.

The Capitals have now re-signed all of their free agents and have a full 23-man roster (14F/7D/2G). According to the CapFriendly, the Capitals remain $1,095,705 under the salary cap.

Wilson’s AAV of $5.17 million ranks fifth among all Capitals forwards and eighth on the team, overall.

Wilson’s contact includes a modified No Trade Clause (NTC) which includes:

2020-21 & 21-22: Player submits a 10 no team trade list.
2022-23 & 23-24: Player submits a 7 no team trade list.

Wilson took to Twitter Friday evening after the contract was finalized:

6 more years in DC!! Love this team and love this city. Beyond excited to stay a part of the Capitals family!

— Tom Wilson (@tom_wilso) July 28, 2018

In a press release distributed to the media, Capitals’ general manager Brian MacLellan commented on the re-signing of Tom Wilson:

“Tom is an invaluable member of our team and we are pleased that he is committed to sign a long-term deal at this point in his career,” said MacLellan. “Tom is a unique player in this League, in that he plays a physical game, leads by example and contributes in every facet of the game. At 24 years of age, he is just entering his prime and we believe that he will only continue to excel and improve as a player.”

Wilson finished the 2017-18 season career-high 14 goals, 21 assists, 35 points, a +10 rating, 187 penalty minutes, 123 shots, and an 11.4 shooting percentage. His 187 penalty minutes were the second most in the league, trailing only San Jose Sharks’ forward Michael Haley (212). He was seventh on the team in points and assists.

Wilson has also played a big role for the Capitals on the penalty kill, averaging 1:44 per night on the PK during the regular season and 2:08 in the playoffs last season. His total ice time bumped up from 13:52 in the playoffs last year to 17:45 this year. His ice time went from 12:56 last year to 15:59 in the regular season.

Drafted by the Capitals 16th overall in the first round in the 2012 NHL Draft, Wilson has tallied 35 goals and 104 points in 391 career games. He has a career plus-minus rating of +22. Wilson has tallied eight goals and 20 points, along with a +3 rating, in 62 career playoff games. He recorded five goals, 15 points, and a +11 rating in 21 playoff games in the Capitals’ run to the Stanley Cup this past year.

Wilson had a career-high four-point game in a 6-2 win on December 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks and had four multi-goal games after he entered the 2017-18 regular season with none.

The Toronto native spent the majority of the season on the top line with captain Alex Ovechkin and center(s) Evgeny Kuznetsov or Nicklas Backstrom.

Not only has Wilson been able to step up offensively after the loss of 68 of the Capitals’ goals from last season and with T.J. Oshie and Andre Burakovsky going through long scoring droughts, he has also established himself as the Capitals’ “fix-it” man. Whenever a line went through a slump or the offense wasn’t clicking for them, Trotz assigned Wilson to that line to spark it…and it worked.

Wilson is scheduled to hold a conference call with media Monday, July 30 at 1:00 pm.

FROM CAPITALS MEDIA RELEASE

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Tom Wilson to a six-year contract, senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today. Wilson’s contract will carry an average annual value of $5.17 million.

Wilson, 24, recorded 35 points last season (14g, 21a), a career high, and his 14 goals doubled his previous season high of seven set in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 season. Wilson recorded 33 points at even strength, one on the power play and one shorthanded. The Toronto native set career highs in shots (123), time on ice per game (15:59) and blocked shots (51). Wilson’s 50.52 shot attempt percentage at five-on-five (1,065 shot attempts for, 1,044 against) was the second-highest single season total of his career and ranked fourth among Capitals forwards. Additionally, the 6’4”, 218-pound forward recorded 134:43 on the penalty kill, the third-most among Capitals forwards.

During the Capitals’ Stanley Cup run, Wilson set career playoff highs in both goals (five) and assists (10). Wilson recorded a point in 11 of his 21 playoff games, including four multi-point efforts and three points (2g, 1a) in the Capitals’ five Stanley Cup Final games against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Wilson also recorded 187 penalty minutes last season, which made him the only player over the last eight seasons to record at least 35 points and 185 penalty minutes. Wilson’s 187 penalty minutes ranked second in the NHL, and his 804 total penalty minutes since his 2013-14 rookie season lead the NHL. Additionally, Wilson drew 37 minor penalties during the 2017-18 season, the third-most in the NHL. Since the 2013-14 season, Wilson has drawn 178 minor penalties, the second-most in the NHL during that span (Nazem Kadri: 201), and his 2.26 drawn penalties per 60 minutes of play ranks first among all skaters with at least 150 games played since the 2013-14 season. Additionally, Wilson’s 1,144 hits since the 2013-14 season ranks fifth among all NHL forwards.

Wilson was selected by the Capitals in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft. He has earned 104 points (35g, 69a) in 391 career NHL games with Washington. Of the 2012 draft class, Wilson ranks second among forwards in games played and seventh in points.

In the 2016-17 season, Wilson recorded 19 points (7g, 12a) in 82 games. Wilson made his NHL debut in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the New York Rangers on March 10, 2013. He is one of just four players in franchise history to make his NHL debut during the playoffs (Chris Felix: 1988; Grant Jennings: 1988; Trent Whitfield: 2000).

Internationally, Wilson has represented Team Canada at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, earning a gold medal after recording three goals in five games. Additionally, Wilson won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

By Harrison Brown