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Thoughts on the Tom Wilson Contract Extension |
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Today the Washington Capitals announced that they had extended the 29 year old forward Tom Wilson to a seven year deal worth 6.5 million per season. Wilson is in the last year of his previous 6 year contract that paid 5.16 million per season. I am here with Trevor Neufeld and Zak MacMillan to discuss the contract.
Zak MacMillan
Tom Wilson is the player everyone covets and needs to go through the playoffs. Big, strong, versatile winger that can play and elevate your star players. Wrecking shop with fists and points, Wilson is staying in DC for the next seven years at $6.5 M AAV. Seems like a hometown discount for a proven champion. Great work on this piece of the puzzle.
Trevor Neufeld
The analytics world seems to be dumping on the Wilson contract. Career high 52 points this. Milan Lucic trajectory that.
Not buying it.
A few facts:
Despite getting no training camp and getting his first game of the season on January 8, Wilson still managed to score at a 33 goals per season pace. You could see it as he got back into the lineup. There was rust. He had two goals and zero assists in his first eight games. Things finally clicked on February 18. Wilson finished out the season with 11 goals and 70 penalty minutes in 25 games. That’s a vintage Tom Wilson stat line.
Coincidentally, Tom Wilson’s first fight came five days after February 18. #43 finished the season with four fights. Wilson, 29, ended the season on a heater. Four goals, six points and two fights in his last six games.
The contract will likely sour. The fact that the extension kicks in after next season seems like poor asset management — but have you ever played on a team with a guy that treads on the opposition unopposed and then scores a goal to cap it off?
There is a very short supply of guys like that in the NHL.
Sean Maloughney
Yeah this is an ugly look for Capitals GM Brian MacLellan. Last season the Capitals finished 6th in their division, 11 points below the Pittsburgh Penguins who finished 5th. The Capitals are a team in decline that are going to do whatever they can over the next couple seasons to get Alex Ovechkin the most goals in NHL history. That I can understand and respect.
What doesn't make sense is offering a 29 year old with a career high of 52 points a 7 year deal worth 6.5 million a season. Wilson at this stage of his career is exactly what you want on a playoff roster but the Capitals are not going to be a playoff team for the next few seasons. Wilson's most productive years will likely be the next 2-3 seasons but even that may be asking too much as players who play the kind of physical game that he does typically start to hit a wall after the age of 30.
I don't see the Capitals surpassing the likes of the Hurricanes, Devils, or Rangers any time soon. The Penguins are in decline but still have a far better overall roster. The Islanders are maybe the only team I can see the Caps surpassing any time soon but I also wouldn't be surprised to see the Blue Jackets stepping up ahead of Washington soon.
Caps fans might be happy with this deal for the next couple seasons but after that when the team starts to focusing on rebuilding once again it is going to be a contract that is going to get bought out in a hurry.
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What are your thoughts on the Wilson deal?
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