Tonight we will also see the return of Tom Wilson to the Washington Capitals lineup. Wilson was injured in Game 1 of the Caps first round playoff series against the Florida Panthers after he scored. He missed the first 42 Capitals games of the season.
Last season Wilson set a career high with 24 goals, 28 assists, 52 points, and 10 power play points in 78 games played. Wilson ranked tied for second on the Caps in goals and fourth in assists and points.
Wilson had 0.67 points per game which was the second highest of his career. The previous season he had 0.70 points per game. He has increased his points per game rate nearly every year from the previous season during his career.
Wilson set a career low for penalty minutes in an 82 game season last season with 98 penalty minutes. His 240 hits ranked tied for 11th in the NHL last season. Wilson was one of two players to finish with 200 plus hits and 50 plus point.
Wilson ranks sixth in the NHL in hits with 1,942 since2014-14, his first season. He played in his first NHL All Star Game in 2022, representing the Capitals in Las Vegas.
Wilson has recorded 273 points in 647 games with the Caps with 115 goals and 158 assists. The Caps have a record of 382-192-73 with Wilson in the lineup and a 52-28-14 record without Wilson.
I think Wilson goes on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. He had a career year last season and is poised to replicate that same success despite a smaller sample size and shorter season this year.
The Caps are hot right now and they just got hotter with Wilson back. He is a player every team hates but every team wishes they had. It’s a darn good thing he’s ours.
Tonight we witness his return and Backstrom’s at 5 p.m. on NBC Sports Washington.