Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson forgoes arbitration
By Ron Juckett
The Washington Capitals and Tom Wilson will not go to arbitration for his new contract. A good sign the two sides are close. Will he sign a deal longer than two years?
There is quiet progress between the Washington Capitals and winger Tom Wilson.
The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports Wilson did not file for arbitration by Thursday’s deadline. That is a strong sign negotiations are moving along.
Under the NHL’s arbitration rules, Wilson could have asked for a two-year contract. If he won, the deal would run through the time he becomes an unrestricted free agent. A scenario the Caps did not want.
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Since Washington tendered him a contract, Wilson will be with the team when the band gets back together later this summer. There is a small chance another squad will make a move with an offer sheet, but the Caps can match or draft compensation if they do not.
Only once since the last collective bargaining agreement has an RFA been poached by another team. Wilson made a cap salary of $2 million last year. If you consider he might double that next year, Washington would receive a first- and third-round draft pick as compensation.
Now you understand the lack of offer sheets. The price for success is steep.
Under the rules, the Caps must pay Wilson a minimum of what he made with his old deal. Expect him to get double. Washington’s salary cap number is $8 million and change. This is a contract they can afford as he is likely the last big money player to sign.
Wilson, 24, is a mainstay with the Caps. In five seasons, he has 391 regular-season games under his belt. The hard-hitting right-winger is Washington’s enforcer. Last year, he logged a career-high 187 penalty minutes over 78 games while delivering 250 hits
But, his increased ability on offense makes Wilson valuable.
He tallied 35 points last season and had his first double-digit goal year. Wilson’s previous high was seven. In 2017-18, he netted 14. In the playoffs, he shined.
Over his 21 postseason games, Wilson leveled a whopping 100 hits. Nearly five a night. He also registered 15 points, including five goals while skating 17:45 a game.
Yes, Tom Wilson deserves a fat raise. Before, when his agent and the Washington Capitals could not agree on the length of a contract, you wondered if he would force the issue through arbitration. Not now. The final package may not go past his last two years before unrestricted free agency, but both sides will call it a win.