Tom Wilson will score 30 goals in 2023-24

We continue our Washington Capitals player predictions today. Our subject on the first day of training camp is Tom Wilson, who was just re upped for seven more seasons after this upcoming season.

Good on Brian MacLellan, the Capitals general manager for making this happen. Wilson saw the trade rumors. We saw the trade rumors. Him and us both know none of this would make sense and WHY would they even trade Wilson in the first place.

With this deal being signed at the beginning of August, Wilson not only avoids a lame duck season but he can fully concentrate on his career with the Capitals in both the present and the future.

This is a prediction piece for this season so we’ll talk about the present in the second. In the future? Yeah Alex Ovechkin is not getting any younger. None of us are. That’s life. But the day Ovi indeed decides to hang it up, they’ll need a new team captain and that’s where Wilson comes in.

Wilson had a much better summer than he did last year. Last year he was rehabbing from a torn ACL injury that he suffered in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs between the Capitals and Florida Panthers.

His return was a welcome one. In 33 games he potted 13 goals and nine assists for 22 points. But to really look at the impact Wilson has we need to look at the previous seasons numbers.

That year saw him score 24 goals and 28 assists for 52 points. All three categories are career highs. This is Tom Wilson when he’s at his full health best.

So this upcoming season I believe Wilson takes that to the next level. I’m talking a 60 point season with 30 goals and 30 assists. That would be his best season and only brighter days ahead between now and when Wilson gets the C patch.