Breaking down everything you need to know about Tom Wilson’s contract extension
The Washington Capitals re signed Tom Wilson last weekend to a seven year extension worth $45.5 million. That won’t kick in until the 2024 25 season as this upcoming season he finishes out his other deal where he’ll make $5,166,667. Starting the next season that number and AAV goes up to $6.5 million.
So to break it down his new contract average annual value by season is as follows:
2024 25 $6.5 million
2025 26 $6.5 million
2026 27 $6.5 million
2027 28 $6.5 million
2028-29 $6.5 million
2029 30 $6.5 million
2030 31 $6.5 million
So Tom Wilson will be a Washington Capitals forward through the 2030 31 season. He could someday be team captain when Alex Ovechkin retires. Because of the trade rumors heating up for no reason at all, it encouraged both Wilson and Brian MacLellan to work towards a deal with the help of Wilson’s agent.
"You've made DC feel like home." pic.twitter.com/TeSFqv4aZr
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 4, 2023
Tarik El Bashir of The Athletic (subscription required) said this about the deal:
"Although rumors swirled earlier this summer about Wilson and his long-term future with the Capitals, internally there was little concern about how things would eventually play out. Why? The big winger was committed to finishing his career in the city where it all started and the organization always had the intention of making that happen. It was just a matter of hammering out a deal that worked for both sides. Wilson is now locked up through the 2030-31 season — three years longer than anyone else currently under contract in Washington."
El Bashir also spoke to Wilson’s agent, Pat Morris of Newport Sports, who called the trade rumors “fiction” and even saying “none of that was accurate”.
Wilson had a career season in 2021 22 before getting hurt in the first round of the playoffs. In 2022 he even had his first NHL All Star Game selection. He averaged 0.67 points per game that year which was the second highest of his career after having 0.70 the season before which was the COVID shortened year.
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Wilson also set a career low for penalty minutes in an 82 game season with 98 PIMs in 2021 22 and his 240 hits ranked tied for 11th in the NHL. He was just one of two players to finish the season with 200 plus hits and 50 plus points (joining Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators).