Tom Wilson is entering his 11th year with the Washington Capitals, and the puck drops officially on that campaign a week from Friday – but he jumped on with the Sports Junkies Tuesday, ahead of a preseason game in Boston that will air on 106.7 The Fan, to reflect on being a veteran at the ripe old age of 30.
“We do most of the same stuff, but it’s a little more comfortable coming nowadays than your first year as a 19-year-old kid,” Wilson laughed. “It’s always tough, but it wakes you up for the season and, kind of gets you ready to go. I still kind of still feel like the young guy, because the core that's kind of been here, the veteran guys, are still around, so they definitely put me in my place from time to time. But, it’s nice to be able to be that bridge for the young guys and help them out any way I can.”
Wilson got through the rigorous conditioning drills test of Day 1 of camp, the last time the Junks saw him while on location, and he’s glad to be back in camp after a more normal offseason, as opposed to last year while he was rehabbing a torn ACL all summer.
“A year post-op I started feeling a lot better and a lot more like myself, so this summer was pretty much all the normal stuff,” he said. “I was able to do the fun stuff in the gym, lift weights and move around on the track and do all the stuff that I'm used to doing in the off-season. Obviously last year was strictly rehab – I don’t think I was even on my skates at this point last year – so definitely starting off on the right foot, and it's, it's huge to be able to kind of get through training camp and start the year in one piece and feeling good about your game physically and mentally.”
He’s also in camp on the heels of a seven-year, $45 million extension that will keep him in a Caps sweater until he’s a true grizzled vet, a deal that put an end to any thoughts of him going elsewhere.
“I’m just pumped to be here as long as I can have the opportunity to finish as a Cap,” Wilson said. “We love it here in DC and I can't imagine playing anywhere else, so I just wanted my agent and management to get a deal done. Now, it's just go time to go out there, empty the tank, and win as many games in a Caps uniform as possible.”
He spent a lot of time in his native Canada enjoying the family’s cottage after signing that deal, but now, as he said, it’s time to get to work, which he’ll do under a new coach in Spencer Carbery that he’s looking forward to playing for.
“I think he's coming in with an energy and a passion, and he's really hungry to make this thing go in the right direction, and I think the guys can feel that,” Wilson said. “He seems really smart, the Xs and Os and how the game should be played as well, so I think it's gonna be a really good balance. Hopefully the execution on the ice is what we want it to be, because if we're doing our job, we're healthy and hitting our stride, I think we’re going to be a really good team. Easier said than done, we still have to go out and play the games, but if we make sure we’re ready to go, we should be in good shape.”
Take a listen to Wilson’s entire segment above, which also includes some thoughts on long-time teammate Nicklas Backstrom, new teammate Max Pacioretty, his fighting prowess, and more!