No, The Capitals Aren't Trading Tom Wilson

The 28-year-old doesn't imagine himself playing anywhere else, and the feeling is mutual for Capitals management.

ARLINGTON, V.A. -- It's no secret that Tom Wilson loves D.C. It's easy to see his pride for the Washington Capitals as his very presence commands his teammates' -- and the entire fanbase's -- attention.

With the team preparing to retool on the fly this summer after missing out on the playoffs for the first time in nine years, general manager Brian MacLellan will be making changes as he looks to inject youth and speed into the roster while revamping the top-6.

Those changes won't -- and shouldn't -- involve Wilson.

Over the last decade, Wilson has evolved from a gritty, controversial forward to a top-6 winger and key piece on and off the ice who sticks up for his teammates, puts up points and leads by example.

His torn ACL that held him out for the first part of 2022-23 -- as well as a broken ankle just a few games into his return -- also served as an example of just how much the group relies on Wilson.

Without the 6-4, 220-pound power forward, the team was missing one of their most versatile forwards. He is an x-factor on the top line, a vital member of the penalty kill and a physical forward who can spark his team with big hits, puck battles and eye-catching plays.

Not only that, but the Capitals lost just as many games as they won without Wilson in the mix, and he also had 22 points in just 33 appearances, and his .66 points-per-game pace would have had him on track for another 50-point campaign had he played in all 82 games. Plus, down the stretch, he was among the team's top performers, and when he was healthy, his effort was consistent night in and night out.

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While MacLellan does want to revamp the top-6 and make changes as the team starts to retool and prep for a rebuild when the Alex Ovechkin era ends, removing Wilson would take away one of the team's top leaders, a top contributor and a future face of the franchise, as he's somewhat expected to be next captain when Ovechkin hangs up the skates.

There is no real speculation right now surrounding trading Wilson, but what has been vocalized is that Wilson wants to follow in Ovechkin's footsteps and spend the rest of his career with Washington. He also stressed that he won't "play hardball" when it comes to his extension, which he is eligible to negotiate and sign come July 1.

"Everyone knows I love it here, and I want to be here... I just can't imagine ever playing for another team. I don't want that to happen."

The feeling is mutual for management, as MacLellan said back in April that the plan is to lock down Wilson long term.

"I'd like for Tom to finish up in Washington. He's been a big part of our culture, our group," MacLellan said of the King Clancy nominee. "He's consistency gotten better throughout the years. We're going to do everything we can to sign him."

While several big names and intriguing returns that could help D.C. are making their way through the rumor mill, including William Nylander, Alex DeBrincat, Pierre-Luc Dubois and more top-tier forwards, giving up Wilson would be a mistake given his on and off-ice impact. And, based on Wilson and MacLellan's comments and what I'm hearing, it's not going to happen.