The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Tom Wilson to a six-year contract worth an average annual value of $5.17 million, the team announced Friday.
"Tom is an invaluable member of our team and we are pleased that he will play a great part in our foreseeable future," senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan said in a release. "Tom is a unique player in this League. At 24 years of age, he has an impressive amount of experience and we believe that he will only continue to grow and improve as a player. With his ability to play in virtually any game situation, teams need players like Tom in order to succeed in the NHL."
Wilson, 24, recorded 35 points last season with 14 goals and 21 assists, a career high, and his 14 goals doubled his previous season high of seven set in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 season. Wilson recorded 33 points at even strength, one on the power play and one shorthanded. The Toronto native set career highs in shots (123), time on ice per game (15:59) and blocked shots (51). Wilson's 50.52 shot attempt percentage at five-on-five (1,065 shot attempts for, 1,044 against) was the second-highest single season total of his career and ranked fourth among Capitals forwards. Additionally, the 6 foot 4, 218-pound forward recorded 134:43 on the penalty kill, the third-most among Capitals forwards.
During the Capitals' Stanley Cup run, Wilson set career highs in both goals, five, and assists, 10. Wilson recorded a point in 11 of his 21 playoff games, including four multi-point efforts and three points in the Capitals' five Stanley Cup Final games against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Wilson also recorded 187 penalty minutes last season, which made him the only player over the last eight seasons to record at least 35 points and 185 penalty minutes. Wilson's 187 penalty minutes ranked second in the NHL, and his 804 total penalty minutes since his 2013-14 rookie season lead the NHL. Additionally, Wilson drew 37 minor penalties during the 2017-18 season, the third-most in the NHL. Since the 2013-14 season, Wilson has drawn 178 minor penalties, the second-most in the NHL during that span (Nazem Kadri has had the most at 201), and his 2.26 drawn penalties per 60 minutes of play ranks first among all skaters with at least 150 games played since the 2013-14 season.
Wilson was selected by the Capitals in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft. He has earned 104 points in 391 career NHL games with Washington. Of the 2012 draft class, Wilson ranks second among forwards in games played and seventh in points.
In the 2016-17 season, Wilson recorded 19 points in 82 games. Wilson made his NHL debut in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the New York Rangers on March 10, 2013. He is one of just four players in franchise history to make his NHL debut during the playoffs. The other three players to do so incude Chris Felix, Grant Jennings and Trent Whitfield.
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Internationally, Wilson has represented Team Canada at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, earning a gold medal after recording three goals in five games. Additionally, Wilson won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
