Capitals invest money and time in Wilson
Tom Wilson does not want to boast he is now a big part of the Washington Capitals’ core.
His new contract does that for him.
When the Capitals signed the physical, top-line right-winger to a $31-million, six-year contract, it was their biggest statement yet about how they see Wilson.
The long-term commitment to the 24-year-old is a big-money investment in a homegrown player who played a significant role in Washington winning the Stanley Cup and could be a future captain once Alex Ovechkin is gone.
“I’ve taken more on my plate every year, and with this deal that’s going to continue to be expected,” Wilson said Monday.
“The development, they’ve watched me grow as a player and my role on the team. I think from their side, they’re confident that I’m going to continue to grow as a player.”
Wilson making an average of $5.17 million a year puts him the same range as Minnesota’s Jason Zucker, Tampa Bay’s J.T. Miller and Calgary’s Elias Lindholm, who all signed this off-season and have at least 60 more points in their National Hockey League careers.
None have Wilson’s mix of size, hitting ability or penalty-killing prowess, but Washington is also paying for his intangible value in the locker-room fresh off its first championship.
“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,” general manager Brian MacLellan said.
“He is just entering his prime, and we believe that he will only continue to excel and improve as a player.”
Wilson doubled his career high with 14 goals and set a new mark with 35 points last season as he was elevated to the top line to play with Ovechkin and either Evgeny Kuznetsov or Nicklas Backstrom.
His 15 points in 21 games during the Capitals’ Cup run is a level of production more in line with what he will be expected to put up over the next several seasons.
“Each year I’m going to have to continue to perform,” Wilson said.
“The NHL is about consistency. Guys will tell you there’s pressure on you as a player. You’re expected to get the job done every single night, and for me it’s just going to be about being consistent and helping the team win.”
The Capitals didn’t have to give a long contract to Wilson, a restricted free agent who didn’t elect salary arbitration. But the organization has been Wilson’s biggest supporter since 2012 when it took him in the first round, 16th overall, and then GM George McPhee compared him to Milan Lucic.
Now only Kuznetsov, winger T.J. Oshie and defenceman John Carlson are signed for longer, and Wilson is a strong candidate to be a future face of the franchise.