NHL Player Safety has suspended Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson for six games for high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor.

The Washington Capitals will be without one of their top forwards for almost half of their remaining games in a tight playoff battle.

Tom Wilson was suspended for six games on Wednesday after high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor. The NHL Department of Player Safety offered Wilson an in-person hearing, which meant he could be suspended for at least six games.

In the later stages of the third period in Wednesday's contest, Wilson was assessed a double-minor penalty for high-sticking.

Wilson finished a bodycheck on Gregor, which was determined to be legal.

"As Wilson and Gregor separate after the hit, Wilson draws his stick back, then swings it forward in an extremely reckless fashion, making direct and forceful contact with Gregor's face," said the video breakdown of the ruling.

"While we acknowledge Wilson's assertion that he did not mean to strike Gregor in the face, the fact remains that Wilson's stick is drawn back behind him, then swung forcefully and recklessly into his opponent."

The play was also not a case where Wilson lost balance and swung his stick to regain balance, the department said.

Wilson, 29, has been suspended by the NHL for the sixth time in his career. His significant history of receiving supplemental discipline played a factor in the six-game suspension as well.

He will forfeit $161,458.32 as a result of the suspension, which goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

The news comes as the Capitals are looking to avoid two straight seasons of missing the playoffs. 

Ahead of their contest on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes and the rest of the evening's matchups, the Capitals sit three points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with two games in hand. They're also four points back of the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand.

Washington is 6-4-0 in its last 10 games, and the team briefly sat in the second wild-card spot on March 18.

Wilson, a Toronto native, has 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points in 66 games this season. He had upped his point production in recent games, however, including four in his last three games and 11 in his last 13. His 120 penalty minutes this season are the most he's had since 2018-19.

With T.J. Oshie out day-to-day with an upper-body injury as well, losing Wilson could hurt in some tough matchups ahead. On top of the Hurricanes, the Capitals face the Winnipeg Jets (fifth in the NHL), a direct rival in the wild-card battle in the Detroit Red Wings, the Maple Leafs again, the league-leading Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres. In fact, their remaining schedule strength is the fourth-most difficult in the NHL, according to tankathon.com.

The Capitals called up Matthew Phillips to take Wilson's place.