Tom Wilson trade ‘not happening’, Capitals consider him ‘big part of their

Earlier this week, a Los Angeles Kings podcast shared a rumor that the team was “allegedly kicking the tires on Tom Wilson.” We never quite learned what that mysterious phrase means, and it’s all moot now, as Elliotte Friedman says the trade is not happening.

Friedman addressed the rumor on Friday’s 32 Thoughts Podcast.

On an episode of the Kings of the Podcast show released on Sunday, LA Kings blogger John Hoven shared the original rumor. “I heard it this week from a fairly reliable source, and it was intriguing,” Hoven begins. “I don’t know how it plays out, but the Kings have allegedly kicked the tires on Tom Wilson.” His cohost, The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein, says he heard the same rumor.

Friedman says he was unable to talk to anyone about the report until now. “Finally, I looked into it now that the Stanley Cup Final is over,” Friedman says. “And Jeff I got rejected. [. . . ] I was told it’s not happening. I was told the Capitals want to keep him and they consider him a big part of their future.”

This is not surprising. There had never been any suggestion that Washington has wanted to part ways with Wilson. Just a month ago, general manager Brian MacLellan praised Wilson’s effort at the end of the season.

“He was one of our better players down the stretch,” MacLellan said on Breakdown Day. “I really liked him and Strome together. I thought they were two players that played consistently well down the stretch when we weren’t as a team playing well.”

Wilson scored 13 goals in just 33 games last season after returning from major knee surgery.

Wilson is entering the final year of his contract, and the Capitals have been forthright about their intention to re-sign him with term. “I’d like Tom to finish up in Washington,” MacLellan said last month. “He’s been a big part of our culture, our group. He’s consistently gotten better throughout the years. We’re going to do everything we can to sign him.”

Wilson added in his own Breakdown Day interview that he couldn’t imagine playing for another team.

“I’m not a guy that’s going to play hardball and say that I don’t want to be here,” Wilson said. “Everyone knows I want to be here. No matter what happens, I want to help this city win games.”

Meanwhile, the Capitals have experienced troubled with many of their other top-six forwards. Evgeny Kuznetsov has reportedly requested a trade, Nicklas Backstrom has struggled in his recovery from hip surgery, TJ Oshie suffered three injuries last season, and Anthony Mantha (paid but not played like a top-six forward) is rumored to be on the trading block.

Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB