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For years, if you were just a casual NHL follower you may have only known of Tom Wilson because of his controversial reputation as an enforcer on the ice.
Give him some respect, though. Now, that’s multiple-time All-Star Tom Wilson to you.
During the 2022-23 season, Wilson was named an All-Star replacement for teammate Alex Ovechkin. This time around, he’s Washington’s original representative as the first round of selections, one player per team, were announced on Thursday night. It’s a well-deserved honor.
With age finally catching up to Ovechkin, as well as fellow “old guard” members Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson, the Capitals’ youth movement has completed its takeover of the team in 2023-24. Ovechkin still leads the Caps in total points, but only barely over Dylan Strome, who is the team’s leading goal-scorer with 13 tallies.
Wilson, meanwhile, is tied for the second-most goals on the team with 11, and is fourth in points with 19 in 36 games. However, as everyone in D.C. knows, Wilson’s full impact goes well beyond the scoring sheet, as he’s the glue that holds the Capitals together and has been for many years.
His physical style of hockey has gotten him some hot water in the past, but he’s cleaned up the dirty plays while still being an intimidating presence. He’s currently seventh in the NHL in hits, and he and Edmonton’s Evander Kane are the only players in the league with at least 100 hits and double-digit goals in 2023-24.
Wilson also ranks second on the Caps in shots on goal, only behind Ovechkin, and is responsible for the team’s only hat trick thus far this season, against Anaheim on Nov. 30. Not bad for a player who continues to be viewed by opposing fans as “just a goon.”
Tom Wilson has blossomed into an elite two-way player in the NHL, and his selection as Washington’s lone All-Star in the initial reveal makes it official: he is the best player on the Capitals right now.
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