Kings Have Reportedly 'Kicked The Tires' On Tom Wilson; Where He & Capitals Stand

Los Angeles has reportedly inquired about the Capitals winger, who will become a UFA next summer.

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson has been a vital part of the team's success and culture over the last few seasons while getting under the skin of the rest of the league's teams. However, one of those clubs is now reportedly taking a look at Wilson as he enters the final year of his contract: the Los Angeles Kings.

Sirius XM's John Hoven and The Fourth Period's Dennis Bernstein reported on "Kings Of The Podcast" that a reliable source revealed that Los Angeles has "kicked the tires" on Wilson, who is an unrestricted free agent next season.

I don’t know how you make that trade work, but... things really become interesting," Hoven said. "That’ll raise an eyebrow or two.”

Wilson had a strong end to this season after returning from a torn ACL as he finished with 13 goals and nine assists in 33 games while leading the charge on offense in the final stretch of the season. If he'd played a full 82-game campaign, he would have been on pace for his second consecutive 50-plus point season.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound winger still has the physicality and tough guy mentality that made him a notorious figure, but since 2018, he's shown his ability as a top-6 forward and important leader.

Los Angeles has also reportedly shown interest in Pierre-Luc Dubois, per Sportsnet's Elliott Friedman, as the team looks to make some tweaks up front.

However, cap space is an issue with a few of these names.

While the Kings have reportedly inquired, it doesn't seem that general manager Brian MacLellan is interested in proceeding with a deal involving Wilson for now.

MacLellan said at the end of the season that he wants Wilson to finish his career up in D.C., and the feeling is mutual for the 29-year-old, who added that he's not going to "play hardball" when it comes to signing an extension.

The only thing that could potentially shake things up is if Washington decides to blow it all up and start the rebuild sooner rather than later if things continue to go downhill. Even then, though, it's hard to believe that would include Wilson, who many agree is the next captain when Alex Ovechkin hangs up the skates.