If the Washington Capitals are selling, there's one player that the Leafs should absolutely be calling on
Last night's blockbuster deal between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins appears to have signaled that the Caps are planning to kick off a rebuild, or at the very least, an aggressive retooling. In case you missed it, the Caps sent defenseman Dmitry Orlov and winger Garnet Hathaway to the Bruins for a collection of picks, along with veteran winger Craig Smith.
With the Leafs still very much in the buyer's market and the Caps appearing to be willing to move certain pieces, perhaps there's a conversation that should be had between the Leafs and Caps that would see a hometown kid coming home to Toronto.
28-year-old Tom Wilson has played just 11 games for the Capitals this season after undergoing ACL surgery in the offseason, stemming from an injury that he suffered during last year's playoffs. With the Caps not likely to qualify for the postseason this year, and with Wilson having just 1 year left on his deal after this one, would they consider moving him? If the answer is yes, then if you're the Leafs, even if it costs you a package that includes top prospect Matthew Knies, that's a conversation that you almost certainly need to have if you're Kyle Dubas.
While Knies is one of the NHL's premier power forward prospects, Wilson remains one of the NHL's best actual power forwards. Not only that, but as a Toronto native, the likelihood that he'd approve a trade to Toronto is probably pretty good.
Wilson does have a spotty past in terms of suspensions and crossing the line, but if you want to talk about shifting the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, if the Leafs were to add a player like Tom Wilson to the lineup, on top of the move they've already made to bring in O'Reilly and Acciari, one has to imagine that they'll be a lot closer to competing with the likes of the Lightning, Bruins and Hurricanes.
Wilson is a 6'4, 220-pound wrecking ball, who laid 240 hits and scored 24 goals last year. He can hit, he can score, he can fight and, most importantly, he has already won a Stanley Cup, proving that he has what it takes to help his team go on a very deep run. His career-high 52 points last season is a good indicator that he can play in the top 6 and not only hang with the Leafs' skilled players, but be effective and productive in that role as well.
The other factor here is that the Capitals have already shown a willingness to retain salary, as proven by the team agreeing to retain 50% of Orlov's salary. Their willingness to retain salary could really help the Leafs out, as Wilson carries a $5.166M cap hit this year and next. While the Leafs would have a problem taking on his full cap hit, Wilson coming in at just $2.583M (50% of his cap hit) is more easily digestible.
The cost to acquire a player like Wilson, who is in his prime, would certainly be high, but it might just be a price worth paying because, if he can stay on the right side of the line, having that kind of an imposing figure on the roster could really help to sway a series. I don't know what a package for Wilson looks like, but it likely starts with the Leafs' 2024 1st round pick, Matthew Knies and quite possibly another piece or two.
| POLL | ||
24 FEVRIER | 1 ANSWERS If the Washington Capitals are selling, there's one player that the Leafs should absolutely be calling on Should the Leafs target Tom Wilson at the deadline? | ||
| Yes | 0 | 0 % |
| No | 0 | 0 % |
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